Page 28 - Mobile World Daily - Day One
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CONNECTIVITY FIRST | DEVICESCAPE
Dave Fraser, CEO, Devicescape
Connectivity First:
Think Like a
Smartphone User
Smartphone users just want to get service it delivers. And so the options the level of connectivity being provided in It is imperative for mobile
connected. The mobile operator available to the end user are now diversifying terms of coverage, performance, or both. operators to move beyond
community needs to think more like its with the emergence of disruptive Wi-Fi First technology-centric service
customers and focus on connectivity offers. These new models, essentially pitting So imagine a service that took the provision models and start thinking,
first, and technology second. Wi-Fi against cellular as the dominant of connectivity to a wider environment than like their customers, about
underlying bearer, owe their very existence to the cellular network, a service for which we “Connectivity First.”
Some 85,000 people will descend on the industry’s tendency to compartmentalize know there is a clear demand. The problem
Mobile World Congress 2015, bringing according to technology. for many smartphone users—and here the technology remains paramount. But it
with them 85,000 smartphones that need gap between MWC attendees and the wider needn’t be. We know that increased Wi-Fi
to get—and stay—connected. Once upon a So to mitigate this disruption, and to base remains more pronounced—is that they usage actually stimulates increased cellular
time, such density of cutting edge devices properly address the connectivity needs of the don’t always know how to manage usage; so long as a Connectivity First service
would have set the MWC crowd apart from the typical smartphone user, it is imperative for connectivity off the cellular network. Our that manages the entire experience is present.
wider population—but not anymore. Gartner mobile operators to move beyond technology- studies tell us that 83% of users find Wi-Fi
expects smartphones to account for 90 per cent centric service models and start thinking, like connectivity too complex, and 29% never Data from our commercial deployments
of devices worldwide inside three years, which their customers, about “Connectivity First.” even connect to their own Wi-Fi at home! reveals that, when users are given an
means penetration is already approac hing integrated Wi-Fi and cellular service, the clear
these heady heights in mature markets, and Connectivity First is the theme of a In the public Wi-Fi arena, access to majority (64%) consume, on average, 17%
within certain demographic segments. manifesto we published recently to help keep connectivity is sufficiently obstructed by more cellular data than they did previously.
ourselves, our customers, and the wider problems with quality, convenience, and What’s more, their total smartphone data
In this sense, the gap between the typical industry focused on an important truth: The security that—for every connection consumption increases by 48%. Other
end user and the industry professional has service we provide must reflect smartphone successfully established—ten opportunities industry studies show that the introduction of
narrowed dramatically, giving rise to an user needs more than the legacy of are missed. LTE also drives more data consumption
interesting contradiction: This being Mobile technology-aligned strategies. across both cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
World Congress, many attendees—as Our end-user research leads us to conclude
industry professionals—will be involved in Smartphone users, at MWC and beyond, that what users really want is a Connectivity We know that smartphone users want to be
discussions that position one bearer as want and need connectivity everywhere they First service that manages their entire connected all the time. We know that
superior to another, reflecting technology- go. Cellular does a great job much of the time connectivity experience, not just its individual improvements in the performance and
aligned corporate strategies and biases. But, but users often move beyond the reach of the components. And our industry research accessibility of individual bearer technologies
as smartphone users, they’ll make no such best the cellular network has to offer. They reveals that 70% of operator executives agree increase demand and consumption across the
discrimination. consume 93% of their smartphone data with us. Talk about a sanity check. board. And we know that delivering an
indoors, and they consume the majority of it integrated service is the most effective way of
Like typical smartphone users everywhere, over Wi-Fi networks. Some studies put Wi-Fi But we shouldn’t be surprised that meeting users’ needs.
attendees at this year’s show will want to get data at 80% of total; although our evidence operators feel this way. Isn’t it likely, after all,
connected, however they can. Like typical suggests a more conservative 70%. that left to manage the majority of their own Smartphone users don’t think Wi-Fi First,
users they will encounter an array of access, the value users place on service or Cellular First, they think Connectivity First.
connectivity options, characterized by So it’s perhaps an interesting measure of provision will decrease over time? Everyone at this event, the largest industry
significant variations in quality, availability, and the importance of connectivity that users gathering of the year, is a smartphone user.
cost. And, like typical smartphone users, they’ll allocate 100% of their smartphone It might seem surprising that Wi-Fi It’s time the industry made that connection.
often find themselves thwarted in their connectivity spend—their cellular costs—to accounts for such a high proportion of
connectivity aims. It will happen with sufficient only 30% of their connectivity usage. That’s smartphone usage, given the complexity
frequency that the connectivity experience will Connectivity First thinking. many end users currently encounter in
become, as it always does, one of the week’s managing the access process. But for us this
recurrent conversational themes. Another way to frame these needs is to look just shows that users who can easily access
at the impact that network availability and all available forms of smartphone
As smartphone users, we all care about performance have on churn. Research shows connectivity consume the most. It also
connectivity more than we care about the that as many as 40% of users are considering suggests that, if complexity is mitigated,
underlying technology. The industry has long churning from one mobile network to another smartphone users may well consume even
claimed to understand this, but it has been at any one time. While there’s no discounting more data over Wi-Fi than they do already.
slow to reflect that understanding in the the importance of price and device in these
decisions, the biggest driver for churn that Increasing WI-Fi usage is a worrying
relates to the service itself is discontent with prospect for some within the industry;
namely those for whom underlying
PAGE 28 Monday 2nd March MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS DAILY 2015 | www.mobileworldcongress.com
