Network function performance in a virtualized world
Over the course of the last 15 years, both enterprises and service providers have come to embrace the benefits of server virtualization. The benefits are multi-fold – ranging from increased efficiency and return on investment, and greater business...
The emerging mobile edge computing ecosystem and value chain are complex with diverse technologies and a mounting number of companies – large and small – entering the MEC arena seemingly every day. Mobile edge computing is an up-and-coming advancement in the wireless industry that,...
It is common wisdom these days to say that there is a “spectrum crunch.” That is, that we, the consuming public, are consuming more and more wireless data, and that the companies that provide us access to this data (the mobile operators) are running...
It’s become rather apparent that microwave backhaul networks are becoming exhausted. This is largely due to not only a dramatic increase in mobile subscribers, but also a rapid increase in the capacity per subscriber brought on by the expansion of “4G.” While some operators...
The promise of a smart cars connected to smart cities is certainly exciting – traffic lights that respond to real-time fluctuations in road congestion, streamlined navigation, time and cost savings, enriched services, new business opportunities plus overall conveniences that simplify our lives. But, it’s...
This has turned out to be a banner year for wireless charging.
If you doubt that claim, peer into any one of 200 Starbucks coffee shops in San Francisco and around the United Kingdom where you will find customers wirelessly charging their smartphones and other...
The importance of service assurance for NFV deployments
So far, 2015 has been a big year for network functions virtualization. A recent report from IHS suggests this sector is set to grow five-fold by 2019 as operators look to shift from hardware to software environments....
Mobile testing keys for better performance
Every year, the number of mobile personal devices continues to grow steadily. Various mobile brands struggle for annual leadership. It is a common belief that mobile applications testing is simple, and therefore mobile testers do not need to have...
The number of traditional “pure-play” mobile operators is in decline as global consolidation continues at pace. Despite declining operator numbers, competition has never been so fierce – it’s just coming from non-traditional players in the market. The battle between operators and over-the-top players is...
With the rampant adoption of smartphones and growth in mobile Internet, communications service providers have access to unprecedented amounts of data, including customer profiles, device data, network data, customer usage patterns, location data, apps downloaded, clickstream data and so forth. CSPs are sitting on...
After World War I, the French built a series of entrenched border fortifications called the Maginot Line. They expected the next war to be a defensive one, like the previous one. At the same time, the U.S. focused on building battleships, expecting the next...
Who dares follow the Google MVNO path?
Earlier this year there was a great deal of buzz going around that Apple would unveil its own mobile service offering through a mobile virtual network operator approach. The buzz followed the Google MVNO launch of its Project...
Over the past few years, the “bring-your-own-device” trend has become increasingly popular – providing opportunities for employees to use their mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops to solve business problems. In most companies, these devices operate via a wireless network. According to...
By selectively optimizing data, mobile network operators can increase revenue. Although it seems like a paradox, the conventional wisdom that subscribers will pay for extra bytes beyond their data plan has proven generally false.
As subscribers become accustomed to doing more online activities with smartphones, it...
The next step in the evolution of mobile broadband is "5G," and its arrival will be a watershed moment for the entire TV and media industry, delivering the flexibility and high reliability needed to deliver video to billions of users across the globe. Over...
If there’s one thing that is constant in the mobile industry, it’s the lofty predictions that come with the emergence of new services. Perhaps no other offerings are stirring more intrigue than those born from the “Internet of Things” and machine-to-machine services.
Industry heavyweights like...
Spotlight on the network deployment services business
Adding a macro cell to cover a very low pop count area is not always economically viable, often forcing carriers to postpone a decision to cover certain rural or suburban areas. Until now, carriers have relied on highly customized...
Google’s recent acquisition of Jibe Mobile is an exciting move in the evolution of rich communications services and promises to be a real step forward in the battle for mobile network providers to wrestle control of instant messaging from Apple and popular over-the-top players...
There has been a lot of talk about small cell deployments in the past years. These low-powered, wireless radio access nodes are designed to be installed locally in cities’ dense, high-traffic environment to augment macro cells. They promise greater capacity, better signal quality –...
The age of encryption is upon us. Data gathered from mobile operator networks around the world reveal that between 50% and 65% of all mobile data traffic is now encrypted. This is up from a level of only 10-20% in 2013. Right under our...
The future of "5G" is the talk of the network. Despite its relatively undefined status, this next-generation network technology is one that many other emerging technologies are pinning their hopes on due to the capabilities beyond what the current 4G network can offer. In...
With more than 110 sports and entertainment venues currently being built or proposed for construction worldwide over the next few years, it makes sense to design stadiums with advanced networks that can meet future bandwidth demands for both visitors and venue operators.
When thinking of the...
Subscriber data management has gone from being the technology that would be a “nice to have” to an essential tool that operators are looking to adopt. Infonetics Research reported that the worldwide SDM market grew 29% in 2014 over 2013, to $1.4 billion. This...
There was a time when sports fans brought transistor radios to games to listen to the play-by-play while they watched the game. Even then, fans were finding ways to get access to information to improve their in-stadium experience. Today, fans are engaged with smartphones.
Like...
