Fergus Wills, Vice President, Service Provider Marketing, Enea
In the ever-evolving world of wireless technology, specifically mobile networks, there is a clear focus on transmission of speed- overcoming the physics of 5G now moving into 5.5G and 6G, with each stage bringing faster speed, latency improvements and greater network efficiency. Data consumption is increasing exponentially as video account for more than 90 per cent 5G, customers are inherently buying into the advantage of speed.
We need to look at and into the data that the network is transporting. The lateral move is to look at the bytes of data from a protocol and application perspective instead of a one size fits all. Everything from fixed wireless access including smartphones and tablets and internet of things (IoT) devices, it is the data traffic to and from the internet that is essential for our day-to-day life. Therefore, the data mix in the traffic has to be considered if communications service providers (CSPs) are trying to get more from the mobile network.
In respect of data and applications, the complexity and volume are increasing significantly (5G data access will consume 3-4 times more than 4G simply because the data services will utilise higher speed connections with higher quality data requiring more data bytes) to deliver the same service. Streaming is a great example with 70 per cent data in mobile networks streaming content (social media, clips etc), given a high bandwidth network streaming, will occupy as much space as it can grab and pre-load caches on devices with content that may never be seen. In fact, a leading CSP recently stated that the preload could account for as much as 20 per cent mobile traffic.
Looking at data from speed and volume perspective can enable a network to improve its competitive position, specifically for external testing, significant benefit can be achieved (up to 25 per cent) from accelerating transmission control protocol (55 per cent) traffic and managing this against user datagram protocol (quick UDP internet connections) to preserve user experience. CSPs could settle for average small gains here on performance, for example 5 per cent, or they can change the game by 15-25 per cent in a significant move.
On the endurance front, we know network rollout is not instant, and that data traffic is variable. It is about consistency of experience and quality, even when the track is congested, and that is why we can use our encrypted video manager to react to conditions in real time, allowing more users to watch higher quality video, using superior data management of the application stream. Enea’s traffic management tools have shown to deliver high quality video with as much as 25 per cent data savings in bytes, optimising the delivery of encrypted video streams, enabling 20 per cent more available capacity in the network for streaming.
Transforming networks and enterprises, optimising capacity and quality of experience, we have assisted multiple CSPs in achieving significant performance gains in external testing, from drive testing to crowd sourced testing, using our traffic management capabilities, that maximises network bandwidth, measure and maintain great user experience, harmonises service and policy, 4G and 5G, detect and prevent fraud and improve effective bandwidth in congestion.
