As the demand on wireless networks increases — thanks to more data consumption and more smart phones — how can operators manage it and will LTE be enough? These are the questions facing wireless operators as well as those designing radios and other mobile products to take advantage of cloud-based applications. To handle the onslaught of this data rush, a panel of experts at the Mobilize 2010 conference decided that network topologies, the methods of accessing the Internet, and even the way people build their development platforms should change.
Mike Gallagher, CEO of SpiderCloud Wireless, said that, previously, networks were built for coverage, but “five years ago, carriers started building for capacity.” However, the continuing demand for data won’t be solved by carriers and their outdoor networks alone; it’s simply not efficient. Gallagher’s suggestion is to create private 3G networks inside enterprise (something his company makes) and get the traffic off the main network as quickly as possible. A similar solution would be femtocells, as Bill Joll from Velocitude, pointed out.
However, as the network end points move close to the edge (thanks to a femtocell in your home as opposed to a base station at a tower a mile away) issues around privacy and government regulations come into play, as does interference. In a world where the demand for data is so intense, and growing weekly, the solutions won’t be found solely in cellular networks. Wi-Fi, and even wired broadband, will play a role, according to Qualcomm’s Samir Khazaka. He also pointed out that the deployment of LTE networks offers an opportunity for operators to manage their traffic and deliver quality of service agreements for certain types of traffic at certain times. That ability to manage, plus a multitude of networks, will help meet the demand, but another option will be speeding up the network through new features associated with the next generation of wireless network: LTE Advanced.
The panelists believed that LTE Advanced would be on the market in the next year or two, which would help boost capacity and offer the features that will help operators flatten their network topologies. As for the devices themselves, the consensus was that the need for better processing power on the device will help deliver a better experience even as the network itself improves. Just because folks can process in the cloud, it doesn’t mean it will move off of the handset for applications such as videos and gaming.
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