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