The wireless packet core market, including evolved packet
core (EPC), grew over 50 percent in 1Q11 compared to 1Q10 due to sustained
growth in mobile data and signaling traffic.
Smartphone penetration and mobile data traffic is expected to continue to rise
into the foreseeable future, driving a double-digit market growth forecast for
the wireless packet core market in 2011, according to Exact Ventures.
During the first quarter of this year, Ericsson maintained its lead of
the total wireless packet core market with 26 percent share.
On the strength of its sales to Latin America, Huawei was the second largest
vendor, with revenue just slightly below that of Ericsson. Cisco ranked third
with 18 percent market share, as a result of its strong PDSN sales to North
America. Nokia Siemens rounded out the top four vendors for the quarter.
The PCRF market currently dominates EPC sales, because
operators have been deploying PCRF equipment to support WCDMA/HSPA-based data
services. Other EPC components are currently deployed to support LTE-based
services. PCRF is a key component in wireless packet core networks,
enabling rules and policies that allow wireless operators to differentiate
network traffic.
“Currently, most of the functionality enabled by
PCRF is used for cost-avoidance applications, such as bill-shock, and for
management of tiered data services. PCRF functionality is increasingly critical
for operators as they develop revenue generating applications and services that
require differentiation of network traffic content,” said Greg Collins,
founder and principal analyst, Exact Ventures.
By Telecomlead.com Team
