The Buzz from Mobile World Congress 2015

This years’ Mobile World Congress was as spectacular as it could get and it continues to attract various attendees from outside the wireless industry. At the recent event, keynotes were fairly addressed by non-wireless players such as Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google SVP Sundar Pichai and even Cablevision COO Kristin Dolan.

Among the many interesting events, there were some that stood out. So we bring to you the highlights of the show as follows.

·         News of the Event: Samsung presumably had the most well-attended press conference at this year’s WMC. It launched new versions of its flagship line of smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Further, Google’s Sundar Pichai also confirmed rumors of his company launching an MVNO in the U.S. in the forthcoming months. He also explained how the forthcoming wireless service will be a little different because it will make cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity experiences seamless.

·         Controversy: It’s been quite some time that news about unlicensed LTE has been making the rounds. However, at MWC, LTE-U appeared to finally get a grip, particularly as operators such as T-Mobile US and Verizon Wireless shared thoughts about the technology. Wi-Fi proponents are concerned because of operator support and the unlicensed spectrum bands have always been considered home for the entrepreneurs and upstarts.

·         Celebrity that turned Heads: The FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s crowd pulling presence at the Mobile World Congress generated quite a lot of interest. A big reason behind Wheeler being in such demand at MWC was also about how well the FCC contested the net neutrality ruling. Although Wheeler’s sphere of influence is majorly in the U.S., global players have shown keen interest in his opinions because of their worldwide implications.

·         Most Significant improvement: One of the most awaited and appreciated steps is the GSMA finally making their Wi-Fi network powerful enough for its numerous users and for putting the Wi-Fi network password directly into the name of the network ID.

This is not all that happened at the much talked about WMC 2015. The list is far from complete. However, we have tried to gather in here the most talked about and impactful news for you from the event.

LTE to be Made Lighter for Application in Internet of Things

When the cellular industry discusses network technology, it inevitably steers toward speed and throughput as well as how more of both is necessary now and in the future. A buzz was making the rounds at the recent Mobile World Congres about LTE (CAT 1). This technology provides 10 Mbps downlink speed as a maximum in comparison to the peak downlink speed of 300 Mbps provided by LTE. But before you start taking guesses, it is important to understand the rationale behind this slower version of LTE. It is so because the version is intended for application in the Internet of Things (IoT). All of it makes more sense particularly when it is combined with a trimmed module size, reduced power consumption and maybe lower cost as well.

The IoT as a concept means connecting all important gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, vehicles and appliances to the cellular network such that the devices can work in collaboration with each other and enhance efficiency by automating specific tasks. However, not all of the devices for this purpose will require the speed as well as the throughput of LTE. Even today, most cellular operators, including those who offer free government cellphone plans, endorse the use of 2G and 3G networks for connectivity for their M2M customers in order to keep costs low and increase the use of such networks.

The benefit of LTE (CAT 1) is that it is expected to drive more connections to the network. One of the bigger proponents of LTE (CAT 1) is Ericsson, who also announced that it partnered with chip maker Sequans and Verizon Wireless in order to test LTE (CAT1) devices and infrastructure by using Verizon’s LTE network. The trial, which was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2014, established that LTE (CAT 1) devices can exist parallel to the high-performing LTE devices.  

In order to function, LTE (CAT 1) simply requires the addition of software to the network and LTE (CAT 1)-capable devices, says head of portfolio management at Ericsson, Matts Norin. Its advantage is that it minimizes complexity in the network owing to the likelihood of operators eventually eliminating M2M customers on 2G and 3G networks running simultaneously with LTE in the future. Operators will just utilize LTE instead.  

As of now, it is not predicted as to when the LTE (CAT 1) will turn into a commercial reality. However, it is an interesting area of observation and experiment, particularly as more and more industries are looking to go mobile in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Verizon, Sprint Users Have Higher LTE Data Usage than Those of AT&T, T-Mobile

According to a new report from the renowned mobile analytics firm Mobidia, LTE subscribers are using nearly two times as much data on average as compared to their 3G counterparts. More importantly, Verizon Wireless and Sprint subscribers have been observed to be using more LTE data than customers of AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile US.

As a probable reason, the statistics appear to be so because AT&T and T-Mobile have faster and more extensive 3G fallback networks that use HSPA+ technology, whereas Verizon and Sprint have focused on overlaying LTE so customers do not have to fall back as often to slower EV-DO technology.

According to the reports, U.S. wireless subscribers with LTE capable devices have noticeably increased their data usage during this year. Mobidia observes and records real subscriber behavior regarding data and application-based usage on the various networks available for smartphones and tablets. The firm analyzed data which it collected July through September from numerous wireless subscribers in the U.S. for the purpose of analyzing Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE usage trends. Mobidia has also reported that U.S. Apple iPhone users consumed 82 percent of their mobile data while connected to Wi-Fi and users with Android platform consumed 78 percent of it. Verizon has the largest LTE network in the country, which is one of the major reasons it enjoyed the most access to LTE networks, with 98 percent of their cellular data consumed on LTE. LTE data accounted for 93 percent of cellular data consumed by Sprint subscribers and only 86 percent of the data consumed by AT&T subscribers.

Among other findings, it has been shared that LTE subscribers in the U.S. using iPhones consumed an average of 12 GB of total data per month while their 3G counterparts consumed only 7.1 GB of total data on average.