INDUSTRY WATCH
RCAF HAS PROVEN, OBVIOUS
APPLICATIONS IN THE BATTLE
FOR CONSUMER LOYALTY.
elegant solution that introduced elasticity
into infrastructure, allowing the radio-access
network (RAN) to tailor connection speeds to
specific circumstances? consumption will have a much better UX in
congested locations.
Enter Congestion Management – a feature
that is now supported by some telecom
vendors. CSPs with access to a business
support system (BSS) solution that offers a
RAN congestion-awareness function (RCAF)
find themselves better able to solve a lot
of problems. Operators can increase the
number of satisfied subscribers and give
them fast access to priority applications
even in peak-use periods. Additionally, they
can dynamically manage temporary failures
on radio and core networks, improving
user experience (UX) for high-value
subscribers, and prioritising mission-critical
communication traffic for dedicated groups
of subscribers. A further advantage of RCAF is the ability
to optimise license fees for third party
telecom vendors, while still increasing
network capacity and providing enhanced
user experiences for all subscribers.
Because each application requires different
connection speeds to deliver a great user
experience, as an example, operators
can prioritise internal resources, text
messengers and partner content-providers
over other applications, such as video
streaming, P2P traffic or software updates.
Users on congested networks will not
experience any performance degradation
for priority applications but will see a slide
in performance for other applications. And
a single default bearer can be used for all
applications, without the need to raise
several dedicated bearers for different
priority applications.
Prioritised plans
This function presents new opportunities for
monetisation. Subscribers can pay premium
rates for prioritised service plans. Users that
opt for these premium subscription plans will
have faster connection speeds in congested
locations than those of users on normal
plans, but during non-congested periods
or in non-congested areas, all users will
experience the same speeds. In this scenario,
the operator can build incentives for users
to move to premium plans and ensure
optimum connection speeds regardless of
network conditions.
Speed limits for heavy users
longer an excuse for performance degradation;
it is a problem to be solved.
The light at the end
But how? It is hard to make a business case
for the significant capital outlays necessary
to expand resource pools, just to cater
for events that do not happen every day.
Meanwhile, the market is baying for just
such a change. But what if there was an
www.intelligentcio.com
Operators can limit heavy users’ activity,
in congested locations, to provide a better
UX to the majority of common users. This
step is essential when an operator offers
unlimited data plans to their subscribers.
All users, including heavy data consumers,
will enjoy the same speed in non-
congested periods and areas, but high-
priority users with high average revenue
per user (ARPU) and low monthly data
Application control
Third-party application partners
Now let’s consider the future. Let’s assume
that the operator has forged strategic
partnerships with several third parties by
opening-up its core platform to integration
with many others. It has enriched its
offerings, eliminated barriers to new markets
and broadened its talent pool; customer
engagement and brand loyalty are at an
all-time high.
Congestion management function
serves this ecosystem as well. In times
of congestion, the operator can inform
partner applications and content providers
of users that are experiencing performance
dips. A third-party application can be
notified when a subscriber enters or exits
congested conditions, to optimise content
delivery. Providers of these applications
can compress or transcode traffic into
formats that require less bandwidth, or
they can send lower-resolution content.
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