We are often asked how Bytemobile Smart Capacity^TM solutions impact LTE and other 4G networks. Please join us for a timely and informative webinar in conjunction with Openet, a global leader in policy control and subscriber management solutions – Mobile Video and LTE: Profitability Challenge or Revenue Opportunity? – on Thursday, May 31, at 8:00 a.m. PDT/11:00 a.m. EDT/4:00 p.m. BST.

-Anna Yong

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Today Bytemobile COO Chris Koopmans published a guest post in Azi Ronen’s industry blog, Broadband Traffic Management. As its title suggests, the post addresses the opportunity for mobile network operators to monetize the escalating volumes of data traffic on their networks with service differentiation based on quality of experience (QoE).

-Stacey Infantino

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Monica Paolini wrote an article titled “Don't supply and demand apply to wireless data monetization?” in which she poses the question, “Could it be that by increasing the traffic-load pressure on the network, operators will have the chance to deploy tools like QoS, prioritization, policy, or traffic optimization to a better effect − as they would give subscribers the motivation they need to open their wallets?”

We see the logic of her argument, which eventually leads to the question, “Do things have to get worse before they get better?” However, we also understand that operators may not want to risk the possibility of overloading their networks, and it’s not the “get worse” that’s the key, but rather the discernible difference between good service and bad service. Or should that be ‘premium service’ and ‘basic service’?

In order to open their wallets, consumers need to experience a palpable difference in service quality. Mobile data subscribers don’t see/feel/experience that difference when their usage is measured in data volume. 300 MB or 1 GB or 5 GB – the numbers don’t mean much in terms of how they user their mobile devices. However, HD video; smooth video play; crisp, sharp images; and faster web page downloads − all of which can be controlled via Smart Capacity^TM solutions − are highly discernible and will motivate subscribers to open their wallets.

-Anna Yong

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We found this post on Amdocs’ Data Experience Blog relevant to the challenge that all mobile network operators face in keeping their customers satisfied. Notable excerpts:

“We decided to investigate, and in a series of 140 video interviews, across 17 countries, we talked to real consumers of all ages and socio-economic groups to hear about their mobile data use, experience and what they thought of the service they were getting from their provider.

“Almost half of our interviewees felt their data experience was not quick enough, so operators investing in 4G roll outs are definitely making the right move. People will pay for a better quality of service, and if you can get them to value the experience, there’s a great opportunity to sell ‒ and monetize ‒ more data, to existing and new users.”

This is precisely the value of being able to differentiate subscriber service plans base on quality of experience (QoE) and data usage.

-Anna Yong

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The May 4 issue of Mashable includes a highly relevant article by Kate Freeman – “iPhone Owners: AT&T Chief Wishes You Had Paid for All That Data.” In it, Freeman quotes AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson: “Every additional megabyte you use in this network, I have to invest capital.”

Our response to Mr. Stephenson: “Every additional megabyte we remove from this network is less capital that you have to invest.”

Bytemobile understands that supporting mobile data usage isn’t free. That’s why our Smart Capacity^TM solutions are designed to simultaneously improve the user experience and increase network efficiency. As a result, mobile network operators are able to defer capital expenditures and reduce operating expenses while keeping their customers satisfied.

According to the Mashable article, Mr. Stephenson also regrets making unlimited data plans available for iPhones.

Bytemobile understands this, too. Our Smart Capacity solutions enable operators to create differentiated service plans – based not only on data volume, but also on quality of experience (QoE). Mobile subscribers can directly discern QoE by indicators such as amount of video stalling, speed of web page downloads, and resolution of video and web images. Subscribers’ willingness to pay for different levels of service – which are monitored and measured by these indicators – is key to operators’ monetization of all IP traffic in their network, so that data revenue and profitability grow with demand.

To learn more, see this blog post and this video demo – “Differentiating Services with Bytemobile’s Adaptive Traffic Management.”

-Anna Yong

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YouTube recently announced the signing of a deal with MGM to add some 600 titles – including classic films like The Godfather, Rain Man and Rocky, as well as newer releases such as Transformers and Hugo – to its online video site and the Google Play store, for availability to consumers in the U.S. and Canada.

Bytemobile expects this expansion of content to generate increased video traffic on mobile operators’ networks. Our February 2012 Mobile Analytics Report indicates that mobile subscribers currently use YouTube for 8.5 minutes per session, and that video traffic generates up to 70% of the total data volume on mobile networks today.

As the quality and quantity of mobile video content available continues to increase, Bytemobile Smart Capacity™ solutions help operators deliver the best possible user experience and increase the profitability of their mobile data revenue.

-Anna Yong

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As we noted last month – “Mobile data needs to be faster than the blink of an eye.”

PC World recently conducted a benchmark test of wireless service in the U.S., focused on network speed.

To help accelerate mobile networks and improve the user experience, Bytemobile recently announced the T2100 Content Accelerator, a video caching solution within the T-Series Adaptive Traffic Management System.

-Anna Yong
 

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Sprint recently shared images of a Network Vision cell site. Since many of us generally never have an opportunity to see the equipment that makes mobile networks work, we thought we would post these links from Fierce Wireless and Light Reading.

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Yesterday, Sarah Reedy, senior reporter at Light Reading, published an article on Sprint’s strategy of investing in mobile video optimization tools to keep its unlimited data plans alive as data usage continues to increase across its network.

“Specifically, Sprint's investing in video optimization gateways ahead of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) deployment. The problem isn't the amount of video hitting the network, SVP of Networks Bob Azzi said. The problem is the radio network capacity is strained by the number and frequency of connections (signaling traffic) customers make to retrieve video. By using video optimization and Wi-Fi offload, Sprint can reduce that strain.

"’When we deliver video, we're wasting bandwidth’," he said. Now, the core is aware of the type of device and the content the user is demanding and only sends the bandwidth necessary for both, reducing what's required at the RF layer.”

The full article as it appeared in Light Reading on April 23, 2012 can be found here.

-Stacey Infantino

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Today, Bytemobile released two new products that expand its T-Series Adaptive Traffic Management System for 3G and 4G networks. Integrated with Bytemobile’s two platforms – the Unison™ Platform and the T3100 Adaptive Traffic Manager – the T1100 Traffic Director and the T2100 Content Accelerator provide operators with a seamless single-vendor solution for processing video and web traffic to deliver increased network efficiency and the best possible user experience under all network conditions.

“The T-Series architecture represents a fundamental change in traffic management for mobile networks,” said Chris Koopmans, chief operating officer of Bytemobile. “Instead of multiple network elements for caching, load balancing, deep packet inspection (DPI), video and web optimization, analytics, and policy control – pieced together from multiple vendors – Bytemobile has brought to market new infrastructure that provides carriers with a more efficient and manageable architecture for Smart Capacity – and the scalability to capitalize on exploding subscriber demand for rich mobile data services.”

Click for information on Bytemobile’s T-Series Adaptive Traffic Management System.

- Stacey Infantino

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