Offloading Data Traffic to Wi-Fi Isn’t Enough
Smartphones won’t be the end of it, though - devices like netbooks and USB dongles on laptops will push the networks over the edge as more people start using them, even as operators migrate to 4G. Data traffic over tier-one networks is growing at 10-15% per month, and right now, 1- 2% of users generate up to 50% of the total volume. Those 1-2% are doing things like peer-to-peer file sharing and streaming multimedia that will soon become mainstream.
While Wi-Fi is available for many phones, most consumers don’t use it because it is cumbersome, it drains the battery, and it doesn’t offer seamless mobility. Until operators, vendors, and standards organizations solve these problems, traffic will continue to explode. Optimization and traffic management would be needed to handle this growth.
Intelligent traffic management solutions will enable wireless carriers to offer different levels of service with premium pricing and enforce fair-use policies to limit the impact of excessive usage by a few rogue subscribers – while improving the user experience and ensuring a sustainable business model.
-Stacey Infantino
Tags: iphone, New York Times, optimization, smartphone, traffic management, usb dongles, WiFi