Tackling the Mobile Broadband Moment

The mobile broadband opportunity continues to expand, offering a wealth of new business models and revenue-generation possibilities for the savvy operator that leverages market insight to avoid the technical and marketing pitfalls.

Beginning in October and running through next spring, V2M will be exploring mobility in a way, and at a depth, that is not available anywhere else in the world. We are kicking off a series of digital products, underwritten by Cisco, that will explore and clarify the promise of mobile broadband for carriers, with a focus on changing consumption trends, network architecting, and where investment can pay off in difficult economic times. To the latter point, end-user spending on communications only increases during a recession. On the consumer side, traffic-bolstering activities like cheap over-the-top video (Netflix) and IP voice (Skype, the world’s largest carrier of long-distance calls) are driving more bandwidth into networks. And meanwhile businesses are looking to a) do more with less and bolster efficiency through new IP-based communications services like unified communications and IP PBXs; and B) find competitive differentiators to fall back on in a difficult market, like providing IP-based multi-modal customer service.

Far from providing a service that does not fit the historic moment, mobile network operators are providing a service that fits the moment perfectly. These consumption trends we’re seeing in the market are pointing to additional opportunity for wireless services, since the best hope for revenue generation in the down economy is to provide what people are willing to pay for. Long-term viability also means being prepared for what happens post-recession, as premium services become attractive again.

However, capitalizing on all of that requires making investments in next-generation architecture, to both achieve a benefit on the top-line revenue side, while driving efficiency. When weighing the ROI in such investments, it’s worth noting that mobile network operators can and should be excited about their prospects. There are also four specific and related reasons to see little but growth in mobile broadband:

• The pace of mobile-technology innovation has accelerated enormously in the past decade – and the global recession has not slowed the pace of innovation. Moving to all-IP with 4G also decreases OPEX and creates more flexibility to support new services and new business models, with scalability.
• The functionalities of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have climbed the same steep innovation curve, again despite the recession. Remember, the iPhone has only been in the market for four years.
• The cost of advanced devices has and will continue to decline — driving greater penetration and a better cost profile for carriers.
• The personal productivity of people armed with powerful mobile devices and connected to powerful networks is dramatically increasing — and end-users only want more.

As mentioned, V2M is exploring this moment in mobile services with a series of unique digital products, underwritten by Cisco, which will roll out over the course of the next nine months. The elements make up an integrated content approach for our readers and include:

• A Report on the intelligent network imperative (Oct. 14)
• A Report on architecting next-generation, mobile infrastructure technology (Nov. 1)
• A Digital Issue on 4G innovation (Nov. 15)
• An Immersion Center that brings together V2M content about mobile broadband into one go-to microsite (Jan. 11)
• A “What’s Hot at Mobile World Congress" microsite, detailing the themes and trends of the show (Jan. 26)
• An “Onsite," or deep-dive case study, featuring the lessons learned by service providers innovating in this space (Feb. 15)
• A Solution Center, featuring Cisco’s educational content (March 5)

In addition, V2M will be creating stories, slide shows and blogs about the subject of mobility and the mobile network operator.

The hour is ripe for mobile services. Turn to V2M, your trusted source of information, for the best information on this critical subject.