NSN Helps Operators Automatically Define Rules for Wi-Fi Traffic Steering
Published on: 18th Feb 2014
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
By: Ian Mansfield
Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) says that it has developed two innovations that create an effective way for mobile operators to take advantage of Wi Fi in their cellular networks and overcome the inflexibility of standardized Wi Fi traffic steering.
Automated creation of Wi-Fi traffic steering rules eliminates manual work and achieves more effective load balancing, while enhanced ANDSF capabilities enable real-time traffic steering based on network loading.
NSN's CEM Analytics for Traffic Steering analyzes network traffic and billing data trends to automatically generate and update ANDSF rules that govern how devices select cellular or Wi-Fi access. These rules use network parameters that include subscriber segment, application or application group, cell ID and time interval. Conventionally, operators create these rules manually, which is time-consuming, requires significant expertise and is typically based on limited insight. This often leads to ineffective traffic steering rules that need amending after implementation. Also once set, the rules cannot adapt to gradually changing network conditions and become less efficient unless updated regularly.
The second new feature, NSN Dynamic ANDSF software, is installed on mobile devices. While applying the ANDSF standard rules, operators can now also take into account network congestion and steer devices onto the radio access layer that will best maintain the experience of their most valued customers.
"As well as making ANDSF dynamic to cater for unpredictable traffic, we're introducing a more efficient, time-saving way to create different traffic steering rules," said Randy Cox, head of Small Cells product management at NSN. "Operators can now fully exploit Wi-Fi as a fourth radio access technology, complementing GSM, HSPA and LTE in their Heterogeneous Networks. NSN Smart Wi-Fi is the industry's most comprehensive and efficient Wi-Fi traffic steering capability."
Operators can deploy NSN CEM Analytics for Traffic Steering by itself to automatically create and fine tune ANDSF rules, but gain maximum benefit by using this innovation together with the Dynamic ANDSF software.