Johan Terve, VP – Marketing, Aptilo Networks, has shared Wi-Fi offload technology and user experience trends for 2014.
1. Wi-Fi becomes a strategic asset with mobile core integration
Wi-Fi offloading deployments will continue to follow a trajectory with four
distinct phases:
Separate networks – Started early in the decade but was not considered offloading back then
Seamless offload – Started around 2010
Mobile core integration – Will start 2014
HetNet smart offload – Will start 2015 / 2016
For the past several years, mobile operators have focused their Wi-Fi efforts on “seamless offload” i.e. moving users off the cellular network and onto the Wi-Fi network whenever possible to offload congested 3G networks.
In order to obtain a seamless user experience, many operators have implemented the second phase of Wi-Fi offloading with a seamless and automatic authentication of users through the credentials in the SIM card. This is the crucial first step toward the ultimate goal of obtaining a heterogeneous network in which 3G / 4G and Wi-Fi are fully integrated. Some mobile operators, primarily the ones without their own Wi-Fi footprint, have settled with client-based solutions with the sole purpose of just getting rid of the user, shifting them off of 3G/LTE onto the closest available free Wi-Fi service without retaining any visibility or control.
The best practice for seamless Wi-Fi offload – with SIM authentication – supports the emerging trends for 2014 and beyond to see Wi-Fi as a strategic asset and to gain control of the user experience in Wi-Fi networks. Mobile operators have realized that their subscriber base will spend a large portion of their online time in Wi-Fi, and thus it must be as convenient and secure as their 3G / 4G offerings.
The other method for seamless Wi-Fi offload uses a client that automatically logs in to public free Wi-Fi hotspots outside the operator’s control. This method will never be more than a temporary fix to solve the congestion problem in cellular networks. It can well serve as a complement to existing carrier-class Wi-Fi services, but never be the main tool.
2. First deployments of trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access will happen in 2014
The evident need for mobile operators to gain control of the user experience in Wi-Fi and to streamline services over the different radio technologies has created a strong interest for 3GPP Wi-Fi access with mobile core integration. This third phase of offloading will see its first deployments in 2014.
With trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access, some or all of the data traffic is backhauled to the mobile core through GTP tunnels. A GTP tunnel is set up for the individual user session between the Wireless Access Gateway (WAG/TWAG) and the GGSN/P-GW in the mobile core.
3. First Hotspot 2.0 pilot deployments will happen in 2014
In 2014 we will also see the first pilot deployments with Hotspot 2.0 technology. Hotspot 2.0 enables compatible mobile devices to automatically and silently discover, and then connect to, Wi-Fi access points that have roaming agreements with the user’s home network. The user experience will be similar to when you enter a new mobile network, turn on your device and the services will work instantly and be billed through roaming.
4. New standards will force vendors to prove themselves in 2014
2014 will be the year when these new standards, 3GPP Wi-Fi access and Hotspot 2.0, will be put to the test in real-world deployments. As always, no matter how well a standard has been thought out, it will always need to be complemented with pragmatic solutions in reality. Thus 2014 will also force vendors in the Wi-Fi ecosystem, from Wi-Fi service management to access points, to prove themselves. Who will have the flexibility and innovation to overcome the challenges of real-world deployments?
Challenge #1 – Existing Policy and Charging nodes may not support Wi-Fi services
Just because the trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access standard in theory will allow the mobile operator to utilize the existing policy and charging nodes, it does not automatically mean that existing nodes are capable of handling the specific characteristics of the Wi-Fi service. A flexible Wi-Fi service management system can help operators to overcome this challenge.
Challenge #2 – Streamline Wi-Fi services across all types of devices
The 3GPP Wi-Fi access standard mandates the use of SIM authentication (EAP-SIM/AKA) where policies are retrieved from the subscriber profile in the HLR/HSS during the authentication process. These policies are crucial for the Wi-Fi service and include things such as APN and parameters for setting up the individual GTP tunnel for backhauling the user’s traffic to the mobile core.
However, far from all mobile phones support EAP-SIM/AKA even if they have a SIM card. The support for EAP-SIM/AKA is very dependent on the mobile phone’s operating system (OS). It may even vary between different phone models using the same OS. If a mobile operator cannot offer the same trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access to all subscribers, chances are high that they will seek other options to deploy. This is an example where pragmatic and innovative solutions can make all the difference. Aptilo has developed a solution to address this issue, allowing mobile operators to deploy the same trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access across all types of mobile devices.
Challenge #3 – Support business-to-business features
The process of rolling out radio infrastructure is very different for Wi-Fi compared to 3G/4G networks. With macro 3G/4G, the mobile operator can buy space for their base stations from the property owners. With Wi-Fi the mobile operator often instead has to sell Wi-Fi services to the venue owners. These locations may already have some kind of Wi-Fi service. This represents a huge business opportunity for service providers to replace existing Wi-Fi with carrier-class Wi-Fi, selling an excellent service to the venue owner. This might also be the only way for the operator to gain coverage at this location.
The standards say nothing about specific features for venue owners such as hotels, coffee shops, shopping malls, stadiums, healthcare centers or airports. Yet these features are crucial in order to be successful with the Wi-Fi service.
Challenge #4 – Balance user convenience with the need for branding
Seamless SIM authentication is the best practice for Wi-Fi offload authentication. However, there are times when venue owners need to couple seamless offloading with a landing page that furthers their branding efforts.
This will require that the Wi-Fi service management platform has the flexibility to automatically authenticate users through SIM authentication but then, for some locations, forward them to a landing page where, for example, specific offers or content from the venue can be displayed. The system must potentially also have the ability to later remember users so that they will not be sent to the landing page again when, for instance, they have temporarily lost the connection with the network. While not yet addressed by standards, this flexibility is a crucial component for the commercial success of the Wi-Fi service.
Challenge #5 – Provide local breakout for some Wi-Fi traffic
While in theory solutions can seem black and white, in reality, when it comes to real-world deployments, there are many shades of grey. An easy prediction for 2014 is that mobile operators implementing the trusted 3GPP Wi-Fi access model will not backhaul all data traffic to the mobile core. This will just offload the radio network and not the mobile core.
It makes all the sense in the world to backhaul smartphone traffic, but for Wi-Fi-only devices such as tablets and laptops it may make more sense to do a local breakout of the Wi-Fi traffic to the nearest Internet connection. Catering to these devices is important. The more devices a user hooks up to the operator’s Wi-Fi service the stickier the subscriber becomes to the service, which will reduce churn.
It may even make sense to backhaul a subset of the traffic from a device while making local breakout for some traffic.
The 3GPP Wi-Fi access standard addresses local breakout but says nothing about how to maintain charging, policies and visibility of users. A Wi-Fi service management system can complete its standards-based functionality with functions such as:
Check-out quota from the existing prepaid system and handle it locally.
Lookup policies from different nodes in the mobile core/OSS/BSS and translate these to what makes sense in the Wi-Fi network.
Systems that have support for multiple Wi-Fi AP vendors can also send vendor-specific attributes in order to control the user experience in the local breakout network.
Challenge #6 – Intelligent radio access selection and real-time traffic steering
Although devices and users love Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi may not always offer a better connection than 3G/4G.
In fact the unconditional love devices have for Wi-Fi can create potential problems because they always will try to connect to the Wi-Fi network no matter what. There are several situations in which this can be an unwise choice:
Users reaching the outer limits of Wi-Fi coverage may be better off staying on 3G/4G.
Some Wi-Fi locations may have a backhaul with lower bandwidth than 3G/4G.
Sometimes it may be the Wi-Fi network that needs to be offloaded to 3G/4G.
The challenge for the Wi-Fi ecosystem for 2014 and beyond is to come up with a more intelligent offloading where the radio access Wi-Fi or 3G/4G is selected in real-time based on the conditions at the current location of the user.
