Page 73 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

Work from home becomes the new normal Case study: Yota
In many residential areas, broadband networks were designed for Yota, a CSP that emphasises its unlimited data services,
intermittent use only. When the pandemic made millions of people switch made an effort to attract new business customers who
to remote work, their new office-like usage model posed challenges are currently working from home by arranging modem
for providers, such as problems with video conferencing and Internet and router delivery to new subscribers’ doorsteps.
access for customers. In this situation, mobile networks are better able Thanks to their use of the latest generation of policy
to stay functional. At a time when WFH has become the new normal, control and congestion awareness products, they are
MNOs can introduce the latest dynamic congestion management and now able to provide great service to newly connected
traffic prioritization solutions, and serve those who choose to forgo home data clients with business-level needs.
Wi-Fi and rely on their smartphones for video conferencing and other
tasks associated with remote work. If MNOs take these measures, their
subscribers will likely stay loyal and switch to heftier data packages to get
their jobs done.

Partnerships lead to better infrastructure Case study: Megafon
This new, unforeseen load on broadband and mobile connections leaves no One of the largest digital service providers in the
room for underusing infrastructure. Many parties can benefit from a shared Russian and global telco sector started offering free
effort approach used in many places to build 5G networks. To ensure perks to help those working from home streamline their
uninterrupted service, content providers are using integration mechanisms workflow and adapt to their new WFH reality. Access to
such as SCEF and adjusting their traffic streams to new changes in the an audiobook library, digital media and cloud services
network. The number of organizations with distributed teams will grow, keeps subscribers entertained and informed at home,
which means that businesses will demand increasingly secure and while unlimited data for messenger apps, email, food
reliable connections. As a result, operators will look for new ways to keep and medicine delivery and online education provides
up with this demand and maximise utilization of their already-existing them with the kinds of opportunities they had before the
infrastructure. pandemic.

Drones are coming Example: Russian oil-and-gas-oriented MVNO
Mission-critical medical and rescue services that aim to digitally transform A practical application of this vision is an industrial IoT
their operations feel great need for reliable connection. In the time of solution launched by an oil-and-gas-oriented MVNO in
uncertainty, when everyone is still better off at home, the 5G-enabled Russia. This solution currently offers a flexible way of
security and delivery drones will ensure that we all are fed and safe. providing telemetry for transport and machinery and
ensures more autonomous operations as 5G networks
emerge.

Mobile networks become an alternative to FWA Example: Rostelecom
Analysts used to say that Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is the best way to Rostelecom, one of the leading Russian digital services
provide connectivity in rural areas, typically underserved by fixed operators. providers, took a comprehensive approach to demand for
However, the newest developments have shown that mobile networks can better home connectivity and faster Internet speed. They
be more reliable, robust and manageable than wired counterparts. With automatically provided all their mobile customers with
mobile device tethering being a rescue to those who have problems with an extra 10 gigabytes of data, giving them another reason
their home internet, people feel more comfortable with the idea of radio to use their mobile connection as a home broadband
as their main internet access method, which will be a commonplace in the substitute. At the same time, they quickly adapted their
upcoming 5G era. Fixed networks will still be the nerve system for the long- fixed network to the increased load and upgraded home
distance traffic flows, but more elastic radio networks will gain popularity subscribers to maximum-speed connections at no extra
and become more and more suitable as a last mile option. Fixed operators cost, thus standing out from competition with other
can jump on this bandwagon by creating specialized MVNOs or standalone broadband providers.
5G segments, and a modern convergent BSS solution will be essential for
this development.

Interference from neighbors’ networks is another reason why home Wi-
Fi can be too slow. Meanwhile, direct connection to a 5G network can be
extremely helpful, providing the requested quality of service for real-time
applications to the end users and enabling new revenue models for CSPs.

73 AUGUST 2020