Digital Lifescapes

Mobile communication technology is evolving. Voice over LTE (VoLTE) deployment is quickly ramping up, with improvements in network efficiency and spectrum reuse as the primary drivers. There are currently sixty-three VoLTE commercial networks in operation, according to the latest market study by IHS . This is a net addition of 23 VoLTE networks to the existing 40 that were online at the end of December 2015. In each of the currently operational 63 VoLTE networks, existing subscribers become de facto VoLTE users when they upgrade their devices to LTE-capable ones. As an example, the Verizon Advanced Calling service is a device-driven offering. Users do not sign up for Advanced Calling, but if they buy a device that supports VoLTE, then they are on the Verizon VoLTE network by default. How VoLTE Services are Being Deployed For the majority of those VoLTE networks, the service is marketed as a device -- such as a smartphone -- feature rather than something to which a user subscrib...

As more people adopt using mobile internet access on a regular basis, broadband service providers continue to build-out their infrastructure to support the increase in predictable network traffic. Other related infrastructure investment is being aligned with anticipated market demand. ABI Research finds IMS Core Network deployments are edging up as mobile network operators put the necessary infrastructure and capacity in place for planned 2014 VoLTE launches. Spending for the core network products (HSS, CSC, Media Controllers and Gateways, MSF, IBCF, SBC and P-CSCF) integral to a functioning IMS network will reach $4 billion by 2017. "We see increasing IMS Core Network revenues through 2017, after which IMS revenues will flatten and reflect capacity expansion," said Joe Hoffman, research director at ABI Research . IMS spending for mobile 4G markets follows the LTE deployments, as mobile network operators seek to get their network coverage in place, stabilized, and com...

The opportunity for converged (multi-platform) IPTV is explored in MRG's new IPTV infrastructure and service market study -- providing a new road-map for IPTV operators to use in competing with Cable, Satellite and even Internet Video. By categorizing multi-platform services into functional groups including Time-shifting, Place-shifting, Personalization, and Socialization, the MRG report provides numerous examples of what new services may look like on different platforms and regions of the world. "The Millennial generation already expects video, personal communications and messaging services wherever they are, regardless of device or network," said Steve Hawley, Sr. Analyst, MRG, Inc. Operators that aren't transforming their service platforms to serve these digital natives are already at a disadvantage. Over 180 companies and IPTV Operators are featured in this report, including Operators Deutsche Telecom, PCCW, Orange, and many others; plus numerous vendors. Real-wor...

The current state of the wireless Next-Generation Network (NGN) market is directly related to the success of incumbent carriers, or the total lack of any meaningful competition that would otherwise upset the status quo, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. Those carriers that are content with the status quo are less inclined to take risks, and tend to limit their investment in NGN, the high-tech market research firm says. Most operators that have committed to a rapid NGN migration have done so because of adverse market conditions. "In 2007, only a few IMS equipment supply contracts were announced," says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. "Most were greenfield deployments, or point solutions supporting VoIP, or IP Centrex." In-Stat's research entitled "NGN Drivers and Inhibitors in the Global Market" covers the worldwide market for wireless Next-Generation Networks. It examines the current state of NGN development and explores the reasons why op...

Broadband network operators are planning to roll out all-IP networks beginning in the next two years, according to a new market study from ABI Research. The move to an Internet Protocol-based infrastructure is a natural evolution for the mobile network as broadband services -- including Voice over IP, and other SIP services -- begin to be deployed. The industry aims to rival mobile WiMAX, which has similar aims and timescale. In early 2008 there will be full 3GPP standards for mobile networks allowing IP-based services to be deployed, a process that ABI Research analysts expect to start in 2010, following trials in 2009. "As we move to the end of the decade, mobile networks will emerge with a flat all-IP architecture using 3GPP standards to deliver multimedia services and VoIP. Operators want to control operating costs by eliminating the current dual circuit and packet switched networks," says ABI Research analyst Ian Cox. This will enable service delivery platforms and IMS (...

While next-generation networks (NGNs) promise rich applications that will eventually offset the decline in voice revenue, most carriers must support IP as well as their legacy networking technologies. Among service providers, business success is often tied to how fast market strategies can be changed to meet competitive pressures and take advantage of new opportunities, according to a new market study by Insight Research. To capture markets and create critical mass, rapid creation and execution of new services has become a necessity. Given the way applications are currently deployed and the complexity of their interaction in continuously evolving networks, new services deployments are difficult, costly, and limit the service provider's ability to drive ARPU and reduce churn. Service providers continue to look for new cost effective means for efficient and effective application-to-network connectivity. As a result, hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by service provid...

The worldwide fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) market -- including UMA network controllers, multi-access convergence gateways, and dual mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones -- is forecast by Infonetics Research to soar to $46.3 billion in 2010. The report entitled "FMC Equipment, Phones, and Subscribers Market Outlook," says that of all the current seamless and non-seamless variations of FMC implementations, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) has seen the most significant push, triggered by intense competition. The fiercest battles are coming from attackers in Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK, where each incumbent service provider is trying to protect its home turf. UMA is also the quickest fix prior to any migration to IMS, the report indicates. "UMA, which was believed to have short legs just a year ago, is the predominant technology deployed today to implement seamless FMC between wireless LAN and 2G cellular networks. For those who still believe UMA will be short ...

Nearly 80 percent of service provider respondents taking part in a market study by Infonetics Research say they plan to offer fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services by April 2008, a sharp increase over the number planning to offer FMC services this year. According to the new report entitled "Service Provider Plans for Next Gen Voice and IMS," service providers anticipate that the top two benefits of offering FMC services as increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) and keeping traffic within the network. Over half the service providers Infonetics interviewed also expect to have a full IMS solution deployed in at least some part of their network by 2010 -- but interestingly, a significant number say they have no plans to deploy a full IMS solution, the study shows. "Despite the fact that 71 percent of the service providers we interviewed for a similar study last year expected to use IMS architecture in 2007, we cautioned that providers likely were being optimistic with ...

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services will become the norm after 2010 and will rapidly begin to dominate the world's telecom markets, according to ABI Research. By 2012 almost half of all telecom users will be using at least one SIP-based service, but more than likely will have many services from multiple devices able to communicate with other users and services across the Web and between enterprise and public networks. This will generate over $150 billion in service revenue annually with cumulative infrastructure capital expenditure of over $10 billion by that date. A move to all-IP networks is the chosen path for introducing new services, with next generation networks (NGN) the ultimate goal. "The path to this all-IP goal is complicated: migrating existing services onto IP networks while retaining resources until they can be taken out of service is not a straightforward process," says ABI Research analyst Ian Cox. "Mobile operator voice services are already o...

The emergence of Web 2.0 technologies from the IT world is already having a significant impact on the way that telecom service providers are planning their next-generation service strategies, leading some telcos to rethink the role that IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) will play in next-generation service creation, according to the latest report from Light Reading. "Content providers are emerging as a serious rival to network operators in the next-generation services arena, and they are working to develop competitive services using completely different approaches than those slowly making inroads in the telecom sector," says Caroline Chappell, research analyst with Light Reading's Services Software Insider and author of the report. "Increasingly, the Internet world is becoming a source of over-the-top digital content services using Web 2.0 technologies that have nothing to do with telco standards such as IMS and SIP." If telcos resist incorporating Web 2.0 designs ...

Session management technology is entering a new development phase that will have a significant impact on how network operators converge fixed and mobile services, but plenty of technology and deployment issues need to be sorted out before the optimal paths to fixed/mobile convergence are determined, according to a report from Heavy Reading. "At least 20 equipment makers are playing a role in the next phase of the session management market's development," notes Joe McGarvey, Senior Analyst with Heavy Reading and author of the report. "There are significant differences among these players in terms of how aggressively they are expanding out of their initial orientation and moving toward a universal gateway." Ultimately, the approaches that emerge as the clear winners will have a major influence on how telecom services are delivered for years to come, McGarvey says. "The great paradox of the session management market is that while there is near-universal agreem...

Sales of service provider and enterprise telecom and datacom equipment topped $123 billion worldwide in 2006, up 9 percent from 2005, and is forecast to grow 20 percent to $148 billion in 2010, according to Infonetics Research. Once again, Asia-Pacific will be the market to watch. Their latest report, "Service Provider and Enterprise Telecom and Datacom Equipment," highlights the 5-year compound annual growth rates for all segments range from flat to strong double digits from 2006 to 2010 -- with the IPTV, VoIP and IMS equipment markets showing the most growth. "The spending increase in the overall telecom and datacom equipment market is being fueled by service providers upgrading from TDM to IP packet networks to support voice, video, and data, as well as enterprises transforming their networks to integrate data, multimedia, and security," said Infonetics Research analyst Jeff Wilson. Infonetics report other highlights include: - The IPTV equipment market will d...

U.S. consumer mobile services buying decisions are proven to be based upon interest, technology adoption attitudes, lifestyle attributes and of course price. However, not necessarily in that order. Understanding these buying criteria is essential in assessing the market potential for IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)/Next Generation Networking (NGN) consumer products and services, says high-tech market research firm, In-Stat. IMS-based enabling features and functions, such as presence and user profiles, build a foundation on which numerous other applications can reside. In-Stat research has confirmed that there is high interest across all household segments for most enabling IMS/NGN technologies and their associated user benefits. "In-Stat recommends that service providers focus on deploying enabling technologies to accelerate consumer adoption and build demand for next-generation IMS-based communication services," says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. "Stand-alone application...

The need to deliver enhanced services over next-generation network architectures will drive worldwide telco operators to increase service delivery platform (SDP) spending to $2.2 billion in 2011. SDPs are a combination of hardware, software, and services that form a common architecture for the creation and delivery of services across multiple network types. However, according to new IDC research, the SDP market remains largely undefined and interpreted differently throughout the industry. "There are tremendous market opportunities for IT suppliers, network equipment providers, independent software vendors, and systems integrators trying to establish their place in this evolving market," said Shira Levine, senior analyst for IDC. "Each type of company faces a unique set of challenges, but the key to success is the ability of these companies to develop partnerships with vendors in other categories." From the carrier perspective, SDPs address the need for faster, easie...

According to a new ABI Research Brief, network operators are slowly beginning to roll out all-IP next generation networks (NGN). The move to an Internet Protocol-based infrastructure is a natural evolution for the fixed network as broadband services, including Voice over IP (VoIP), take over from the legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Mobile communication networks have a parallel evolution to IP -- although at a slower pace -- but the standards work is accelerating. By the end of 2007 there will be full NGN standards for fixed and mobile networks allowing IP-based services to be deployed on NGNs, a process that ABI Research analysts expect to be largely complete by 2015 for a total cumulative investment of more than $1 trillion. "As we move to the end of the decade, bandwidth-hungry services such as IPTV will need an IP infrastructure to support them. Operators will also want to control operating costs by moving all services over an IP network," says ABI Researc...

Broadband service providers (BSPs) will be investing billions of dollars over the next five years on service delivery platforms (SDPs) in order to bring the benefits of on-demand IP services to their wireline and mobility customers, according to Insight Research. SDPs are computing and software platforms that support emerging standards such as IMS and SIP while continuing to inter-work with legacy protocols. According to the study, SDP adoption by carriers will facilitate the delivery of on-demand telecommunications services by integrating network element performance with critical business processes. Functionally, these SDPs will enable the adoption of a service-oriented architecture (SOA), making it possible to reuse individual service components in order to quickly build a new complete service offering, as well as to separate the creation and execution of new service applications from the underlying network. "These platforms will loosen the knot that ties network elements to bu...

Current Analysis has studied the status of industry-transforming telecommunications and entertainment services that are enabled by IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and other next-generation technologies and architectures. They conclude that the most compelling attribute that the proposed overhaul of service provider infrastructures and business operations will deliver is not some yet-undiscovered application -- it's the ability to offer end-users customizable services. As much as consumers and enterprise workers crave advanced multimedia services that blend together multiple applications across multiple devices, research proves that the most attractive component of any next-generation service delivery infrastructure is the ability to personalize the user experience. The elusive application of the future is customization. Service providers destined to be the most successful in capturing subscribers will be the ones that deliver users not just compelling services, but the ability to har...