Wi-Fi as a Data Offload Solution

For my first blog, I’m going to start with a topic that everyone can now seem to agree on: 3G data congestion is only going to get worse and Wi-Fi can help. Obviously, since I’m the co-founder of a company that specializes in Wi-Fi networking solutions for service providers, it’s all good news to me. But I would like to take a moment to just recap some of the issues around the 3G congestion problem and where we see things going.

If you’re using an iPhone, a Google Nexus One or, soon, an iPad (or any dual mode cellular/Wi-Fi device), the problem and the solution to 3G data congestion are both in the palm of your hand. It’s predominantly dual-mode devices that are driving the traffic (and, in this category, I include laptop dongles), and it’s the availability of Wi-Fi on these devices that provides a solution to the data congestion.

First, let’s look at the problem — and, I think it goes without saying that having lots of smartphone subscribers is a problem that mobile operators want to have!

The iPhone and its App Store gave people a real reason to consume massive amounts of data — and it’s only a single-tasking device. As we know, the Android based devices are multi-taskers — running multiple apps at one time. So, you could say that the iPhone put data on a silver platter and users gobbled it up — and with the iPad the platter just got much bigger. Meanwhile, Android-based devices let users sit down right at the buffet table and eat everything at once.

So, the potential for exponentially increasing data consumption and resultant data congestion, especially in areas of high user concentration, is not just probable, but imminent. And with data revenues unable to keep pace with data consumption, especially with all-you-can-eat data plans, it’s tough for mobile operators to defend a huge CAPEX outlay to boost capacity.

The solution, in these areas of high user concentration, is to utilize the Wi-Fi capabilities on these devices to effectively offload traffic from the congested mobile network. So, if mobile operators want to address the congestion issue while still retaining brand and quality control of the customer experience, they need to deploy Wi-Fi networks in areas of high user concentration. With all due respect to caps and tiered-pricing models (and other methods of curbing congestion by controlling consumption) Wi-Fi, as an integrated part of a mobile carrier’s network, is the only solution to data congestion that doesn’t penalize users. And Wi-Fi is faster and less expensive to deploy than traditional base stations, so it doesn’t penalize the mobile operators either. Wi-Fi is the only win-win solution to mobile data congestion in areas of high user concentration.

Of course, you’d expect me to say that!

Stephen is co-founder and chief technology officer of BelAir Networks, the market leader in service provider Wi-Fi. He brings more than 20 years of product and technology experience in the telecommunications industry – most of that focused on wireless – and has worked extensively with service providers deploying new wireless technologies. Previously, he led the development of broadband wireless products, the launch of broadband multimedia satcom equipment and the design of the industry's first wireless PBX at Nortel and BNR. Stephen is an accomplished speaker, is active in industry standardization serving as an officer in IEEE 802 and is author of more than ten patents. Stephen holds a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in electrical engineering from Queen's University, a diploma in administration from the University of Ottawa, is a graduate of the MIT Sloan School's Management of Technology program and is a senior member of the IEEE and is a lecturer at Carleton University. He can be reached at srayment@belairnetworks.com.