Global operators aggressively deploying WiFi: possible future charges

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Beijing Time January 21 news, according to foreign media reports, Market research Institute Analysys Mason published a statistical report that, although more and more wireless and cable TV operators are vigorously deploying WiFi network, but for many operators, the current free service will become its future important revenue source.

According to the report, in order to divert wireless traffic and expand the scope of services, 89% of the global broadband service operators have deployed WiFi network, but 40% of the operators said that WiFi should not only divert and dredge congestion network means, but will be able to provide users with value-added services.

So far, several operators around the world have made profits through their WiFi networks. According to the report, 57% of the WiFi operators said they had received some form of revenue from the WiFi network. Although no large cable TV or wireless service operator has announced charges for its WiFi network, but as more and more carriers see it as an important strategic resource and add a variety of certification and security services, industry insiders speculate that operators may be planning to charge or increase the terms of use for WiFi networks.

In At&t, for example, the company provided free thousands of unlimited WiFi hotspots in the United States and added free roaming services to the international data program, but outside the United States, At&t set a 1GB per month traffic limit for WiFi networks.

To eliminate the frustration of "International Data Program" Users, At&t requires users to pay only 60 dollars for additional 1GB of data usage, before the 60 dollar was able to get 300MB of mobile data traffic. Industry insiders pointed out that the at&t of Wi-Fi network traffic to 1GB, has shown that the company as a valuable asset, rather than just as a diversion of mobile data flow and dredge congestion network tools.

While At&t said it would not change its Wi-Fi policy in the United States, industry insiders pointed out that the promise of wireless carriers was not credible because, in the past few years, operators had modified their service plans several times in order to pay more for their users.

"We have to understand that wireless carriers are always changing the price of their services, which has been proven on the phone network," said Chris Nicoll, chief analyst at Chris Nickel Mason. In the early stages, the cost of wireless data in the data service plan was very low and there were no restrictions, but when users became accustomed to using data services, they began to take a hierarchical or multiple device plan to limit them. ”

But David Reeder, vice president of Accuris NX, said it was difficult for operators to pay for WiFi networks. Accuris NX currently provides certification services for At&t to enable WiFi networks to roam internationally.

"The WiFi network is based on a short-range wireless transmission technology that makes it difficult to consistently provide quality services and users have trouble getting the perfect experience," Reid said. As a result, wireless operators are well aware that WiFi networks cannot reach the same heights as wireless networks. ”

He believes that wireless operators will be more creative ways to profit from the WiFi network, and profit does not mean that the user will be charged more fees.

For example, the wireless operator can collect data from the WiFi network access endpoint and sell it to advertisers or marketers, he says. These location-based information, based on the WiFi network, will be more valuable than the location information obtained from the cell phone signal, because the WiFi network is smaller in scope and can pinpoint the user's location. For retailers, they are able to send ads and offer information in a timely fashion based on these user data. Currently, Cisco, the network equipment maker, has added this analysis to its access endpoint devices.

Of course, such a plan has a certain degree of coercion, the user does not have too many choices. Even if the collected WiFi network usage information does not provide users with detailed information, it is still invaluable to marketers, he said.

Wireless operators are currently offering WiFi services with unauthorized wireless access, which is still prohibitively expensive if they are to provide more powerful and stable WiFi networks, even though they are often cheaper to build than mobile phone networks. "Although the spectrum is free, the cost of the follow-up is very much," said Nickel. ”

In fact, the cost of data repeaters to connect Wi-Fi network hotspots and wireless carrier core networks is not cheap, so nickel also admits that wireless operators are not exempt from increasing WiFi network usage fees. But he insists that network operators may be more inclined to look for other ways to make money.

"Wireless operators are very clear that they cannot squeeze profits from users indefinitely," he said. There is a clear line in the user's mind as to how much money to pay for this service. Now they have paid too much for data services. ”