Wi-Fi Zones To Offload 3G Network Load

If you’ve ever been stuck in a traffic jam and had your cell phone drop off the Edge network, then you do have a certain idea of the kind of trouble and pain network congestion can cause. Now, this situation is slightly uncommon in India as of now, thanks to the prolonged wait on the 3G bid. However, world over, network operators have seen the ugly side of the explosion of smart mobile technologies.

A smartphone with an unlimited data plan can be a dangerous thing. Fair use or no fair use, a user, given data capabilities, will consume them. And combine this with the sudden explosion in smart-phone purchases over the last few years, and you have a pressure cooker waiting to explode.
Now, one of the key strategies that mobile operators can put in place, is by intelligently deploying Wi-Fi hotspots across a certain area, so as to offload wireless traffic from the 3G/Edge network, onto the Wi-Fi network.

Biztech2.com had the chance to speak Manjit Singh, MD, Ruckus Wireless, in order to learn how Wi-Fi hotspots can be a saving grace for Metropolitan and possibly state wide networks, and how enterprises can effectively formulate a strategy for users in their premises.

Current Wi-Fi Scenario:

Wi-Fi has been around for close to 10-15 years now, and one can say that it started as a technology of convenience, however it has gained immense popularity and not to mention maturity.

How Can Wi-Fi help offload network traffic?

Wi-fi is more local as compared to 3G/Wimax, and can be utilised as a powerful ally to help prevent network congestion.

To give you an example, we can talk about a Ruckus implementation in Hong Kong for PCCW, a leading network operator. In 2006, PCCW experienced heavy network congestion thanks to a surge in smart-phone purchases, and heavy usage of data plans.

Thanks to this congestion the operator needed to scale immediately, so as to avoid a loss-making situation. However, in order to scale, they would need a substantial investment in infrastructure. This is when Ruckus came into the picture. We deployed close to 3000-4000 hotspots across the city of Hong Kong.

These hotspots were responsible for easing PCCW’s network load onto a wired network, considering most phones now have the option of automatically switching to Wi-Fi in built in them.

India and the 3G Equation

Given the fact that India just got onto the 3G bandwagon, after a grueling bidding process, things do seem somewhat slow as of now. Now there are a few factors that dictate the distribution of 3G services in India- Since the auction just got over, operators are just beginning to setup their base of operations; The 3G spectrum itself in this country is extremely small; And since India dictates high volumes, across various economic classes, price point for services will need to be very competitive.

What does the future look like?

Now given all the above factors, the future still looks very interesting. We believe a city-wide hotspot implementation is not far at all, and based on talks it seems to be 6 months to 1 year away. Currently the Indian market has been estimated to be close to $80 million.

Given the size of this market, there is definitely a very prosperous future that awaits India. Indian operators will feel the squeeze when it comes to delivering 3G over a wireless network, in which case, Ruckus is confident that the Wi-Fi way is the best way. Hotspots will emerge as a necessity especially since operators realise that they are dealing with exponentially increasing volumes.