Top 20 percent of locations in cities account for 80 percent of all network traffic. This demand will enhance the adoption of new network technologies, including small cells and the introduction of carrier-grade Wi-Fi, said the annual Amdocs State of the RAN research.
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The research is based on analysis of more than 25 million voice and data connections at some of the busiest network locations around the world in the past 12 months.
“The answer is no longer simply just about adding hardware — small cells and Wi-Fi will offer new options — but to introduce smart solutions to prioritize investment and allocate resources automatically to maximize customer experience and profitability,” said Rebecca Prudhomme, vice president for product and solutions marketing at Amdocs.
LTE is delivering increased network capacity by offloading as much as 50 percent of traffic from 3G networks but the ever-increasing demand for mobile data may exhaust this new capacity within 2-3 years.
80 percent of dropped voice calls and 50 percent of data throughput issues originate in the RAN, which provides wireless mobile connection for phones and tablets and other devices, using a combination of technologies, including macro cells and small cells utilizing 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi for offload. Any improvements will present a significant opportunity for telecom service providers as 25- 40 percent of customer churn is network related.
The majority of network data usage is being driven by only 10 percent of subscribers. This segment of data users consumes up to 10 times more data per session than the average user, comprising 80 percent of the overall network traffic.
Sporting and entertainment events already create significant surges in mobile data demand. During the event itself social media uploads and second screens (watching content on a mobile device at the same time) creates a double spike, increasing data sessions by up to 50 percent. Voice calls during events drops by up to 50 percent as fans concentrate on the action.
