“Smart Capacity” is the intelligent expansion of network capacity through content optimization and caching, policy control, traffic management, and analytics. With Smart Capacity™ solutions deployed in their mobile networks, operators can increase useable capacity by 30-50% – without new wireless spectrum or physical infrastructure – saving both day-to-day operating costs and 20-30% of planned capital expenditures for the RAN and core, while serving more users and traffic.
Why is Smart Capacity important?
Mobile data traffic – led by video and other multimedia content – is overwhelming the existing capacity of today’s fastest networks. Certain tier-one operators are processing 10-20 GB of traffic per subscriber per month, with video accounting for 40-60% of the data volume. The resulting network congestion curtails the operator’s ability to meet subscriber demand and support traffic growth – thereby reducing quality of experience (QoE), increasing churn, and eroding both revenue and profitability.
These conditions are expected to worsen with the migration from 3G to 4G networks. Between the penetration of high-end smartphones and tablets on one end and the popularity of high-definition video and video chat applications on the other, next-generation networks built for mobile data will only provide more bandwidth for subscribers to consume. Demand will continue to exceed capacity.
Source: Bytemobile
Smart Capacity improves network performance through periods of congestion by eliminating wasted traffic and expanding existing capacity to meet subscriber demand.
How does Smart Capacity help?
Smart Capacity directly addresses congestion and its impact on network performance, enabling operators to scale and manage their capacity utilization in line with subscriber demand. The business benefits of Smart Capacity are multiple and immediate:
- Improved utilization of existing capacity – by 30-50%
- Reduced opex and capex – the latter by 20-30% for the RAN and core
- Increased visibility and control of network traffic
- Ability to measure and enhance QoE, and reduce churn
- Monetization of traffic growth through tiered service plans
- Improved data revenue growth and profitability
"Although LTE will go a long ways toward addressing the problem of network congestion, it will also lead to increased data usage and content being delivered using a higher resolution format."
— Michael Thelander
Founder and CEO
Signals Research
Group
