Mobile operators want to leverage the availability of Wi-Fi on smartphones and other mobile devices to support mobile data growth. But, Wi-Fi connections may not deliver the best user experience while optimizing the operator’s network resources. http://www.ericsson.com/real-performance/steering-wifi-towards-real-performance

1. Wi-Fi Can
Frustrate
Mobile Users
Mobile operators want to leverage the availability of Wi-Fi on
smartphones and other mobile devices to support mobile data
growth. But, Wi-Fi connections may not deliver the best user
experience while optimizing the operator’s network resources.
Wi-Fi’s Bad Habits
Some of the user performance-impacting issues of
Wi-Fi are inherent in the way the technology has been
developed, with the device driving connection decisions. Wi-Fi enabled devices may attach to a Wi-Fi
access point when it’s within range even if that connection won’t deliver a good user experience. This
degrades the performance for all users on that
access point. Wi-Fi enabled devices will also jump on
to overloaded Wi-Fi networks, or those with low
capacity backhaul, even when better mobile network
options are available. And, most of us have
experienced the frustration of our Wi-Fi enabled device
trying to connect to a Wi-Fi network even when it’s only
temporarily available, such as when walking through
an airport or commuting through town.
“Ericsson has clearly differentiated its
carrier Wi-Fi solution through tighter
integration with mobile operator’s 3GPP
access, control and network management. This approach should yield a better
end-user experience by preventing some
of Wi-Fi’s well-known bad habits from
being imposed upon users.”
Source: Daryl Schoolar, Principal Analyst,
Network Infrastructure at Ovum

2. Real performance needs
real-time traffic steering
A multi-country survey of smartphone users conducted
by ConsumerLab found that network performance is
the #1 determinant of customer satisfaction and loyalty
– twice as important as price. Smartphones represent
high ARPU opportunities for operators. So, with Wi-Fi
penetration on smartphones approaching 100%, it is
critical for operators to solve Wi-Fi’s performance
issues to leverage it effectively.
Operators can benefit from a number of emerging
standards aimed at making Wi-Fi more complementary
to cellular technologies, such as Hotspot 2.0/Passpoint
and Next-Generation Hotspot (NGH), Access Network
Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF), and IP
Session Mobility (also referred to as IP address
preservation). These standards seek to address, at
least in part, some of Wi-Fi’s inherent shortcomings
that can hamper performance and result in user
frustration. Because they require device support,
their incremental value is being realized in line with
device evolution and adoption.
While Ericsson drives and supports all of these
standards, none of them deliver the real-time, per user
responsiveness required for a truly seamless and
consistently high-performance user experience across
3GPP and Wi-Fi in a dynamic network environment.
With mobile users abandoning websites when faced
with seconds of delay – resulting in both lost
opportunities and lost revenues – it is clear that real
performance must happen in real-time.
Real-Time Traffic Steering is an Ericsson industryfirst and is a key feature to ensure high performance
network connections for users across both mobile and
Wi-Fi. Real-Time Traffic Steering constantly assesses
key performance indicators (KPIs) in both the mobile
3GPP network and the Wi-Fi network before dynamically and seamlessly shifting the consumer’s smartphone connection between networks. This ensures the
best user experience and optimizes network resources.
Real-Time Traffic Steering is a network-driven feature
requiring no user intervention or additional device
client software. Real-Time Traffic Steering works with
any EAP-SIM enabled smartphones – the high ARPU
mobile subscribers whose satisfaction and loyalty are
driven by network performance.
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
SE-126 25 Stockholm, Sweden
www.ericsson.com
The performance provided to any specific mobile user
is dependent on the location of the user within the cell
(e.g. cell edge users cannot get the same performance
as those in the cell center) and the network conditions
at that moment (including interference, number of
users, schedulers, backhaul conditions etc.)
Because of the dynamic nature of variables that can
potentially impact network performance and the user
experience, the only way to ensure that the optimal
steering decision is made for a specific user, is to
leverage real time, per user information. And, the only
way to do that is through tight integration of the Wi-Fi
network with the mobile Radio Access Network (RAN).
Real-time traffic steering wins
two industry awards
Ericsson’s innovative approach to upping the
performance of Carrier Wi-Fi by integrating it with the
RAN has already been recognized with two industry
awards. In the Broadband InfoVision Awards, Ericsson
Real-Time Traffic Steering won for “Best Broadband
Access – Wireless”. The Wireless Broadband Alliance,
the industry association focused on driving the next
generation Wi-Fi experience, recognized Ericsson
Real-Time Traffic Steering with the Best Wi-Fi
Technology Innovation Award.
Learn more
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Product catalog
White Paper
Press release
Real Performance campaign site
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© Ericsson AB 2013