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Airvana Identifies Mobile Network Caused By Smartphone Data Traffic

TMCnews Featured Article


October 15, 2009

Airvana Identifies Mobile Network Caused By Smartphone Data Traffic

By Calvin Azuri, TMCnet Contributor


Airvana (News - Alert), Inc. has identified a significant mobile network “load multiplier effect” caused by smartphone data traffic on the macro-cellular network. Airvana's high-performance technology and products enable operators to deliver compelling broadband services to mobile subscribers.

 
When Airvana engineers were comparing data use profiles, they discovered that for a given volume of data transmitted, one smartphone will typically generate eight times the network signaling load of a USB modem-equipped laptop. Smartphones account for only a small percentage of all devices on operator networks. However, since smartphones are always on and move between cell sites and continually poll the network, the devices account for the majority of the total signaling activity.
 
The signaling load multiplier effect from smartphones highlights the urgent need for improved and alternative mobile data processing and off-load strategies. Julius Genachowski, head of the FCC (News - Alert) in the United States recently discussed the surge in wireless data and looming spectrum crisis happening across the industry. Genachowski also identified a 10-fold gap in data demanded versus spectrum available in the foreseeable future and stated that the needed bandwidth must come from multiple places. This includes new technologies like smart antennas and femtocells.
 
According to market research firm iSuppli Corp., annual shipments of smartphone handsets are expected to increase from around 200 million in 2009 to 450 million globally in 2013. In the United States, the smartphone penetration in the postpaid subscriber base of AT&T (News - Alert) has doubled to 36 percent.
 
The research also said that 40 percent of the handsets sold by Verizon in the second quarter 2009 were smartphones. There is a similar case in Western Europe where research group IDC (News - Alert) reported a 25 percent growth in sales of smartphones in the second quarter 2009 when compared to the second quarter 2008. As smartphones improve in functionality and performance, coupled with growing acceptance of unlimited data plans, data usage on smartphones will also grow faster. When the load multiplier effect is combined with such rapid growth, it highlights the real potential for significant strain on networks.
 
According to David Nowicki (News - Alert), vice president of Marketing and Product Management at Airvana, the industry is beginning to understand the real impact of smartphones on network performance and finding that their effect is out of proportion to the amount of data they transmit and receive.
 
It has been estimated that almost 60 percent of all mobile data traffic originates indoors. This is one of the important reasons for operators to introduce femtocell strategies to offload traffic. This approach, when combined with the mobile broadband-optimized base station software and advanced, high performance radio network controllers will provide operators with options for reducing the impact of the smartphone load multiplier.

Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Kelly McGuire







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