Network performance is the strongest factor in driving loyalty between users and their operators. As most mobile experiences are inside where connectivity is unreliable, indoor performance will be the next big differentiating factor between operators.
1. Optimizing the
indoor experience
What happens to connectivity when we
enter subways, high-rise buildings and
shopping malls? And how can we make
networks perform as well inside as they
do outside?
Increased urbanization means people
are spending more time indoors than
ever before. This means it is becoming
increasingly important to ensure network
performance is of a high quality in homes,
on transport and at work.
2. seamless connectivity
Network performance is the strongest factor in driving loyalty between users and
their operators, and is thus key in the strategy for revenue growth. As most mobile
experiences are inside where reliable connectivity can be a challenge, indoor
performance will be the next big differentiating factor between operators.
Life within walls
Today, we spend more time indoors than ever before. For
example, many of us live in apartment buildings, take the
subway, work in high-rise offices, shop in big malls and
go out to bars and restaurants. Our research shows that
we spend 90 percent of our lives – or about three quarters
of our time awake – indoors. This means that most of our
connected services and applications, including those on
our mobile devices, are mostly used inside.
Users unhappy with performance
Since most of our connected life is spent inside, indoor
network performance determines many of our user
experiences. But consumers are not happy, and our
research shows that only 55 percent of users are satisfied
with voice quality indoors. Additionally, only 45 percent are
satisfied with the coverage and speed of mobile data when
they are at home, at work, inside shops or on the subway.
There are two main reasons why indoor performance is
such a challenge:
Blocked signals – to supply indoor connectivity, mobile
radio waves need to penetrate concrete floors, glass, walls
and other challenging materials to reach your device. The
more material the signal needs to penetrate, the weaker it
gets. As radio antennas are directional, both upper floors of
tall buildings and underground floors/garages suffer from
poor coverage due to lack of signal strength.
Broken signals – most buildings predominantly use Wi-Fi
as a dedicated indoor solution. However it does not provide
the performance required for app coverage, and in many
cases the indoor connection doesn’t communicate with the
90%
of our time
is spent indoors
outdoor one. So when moving between indoor and outdoor
environments, which we do frequently, the connection
does not transfer seamlessly and breaks. This means the
problem is usually not a lack of coverage as such, but that
the different networks and technologies don’t work together
to provide a high quality user experience.
Mobile browsing
Internet consumption has shifted from browsing in one
place to using mobile applications and bringing the internet
with us wherever we go. This mobility means we can use
online services while moving between different indoor
and outdoor locations. Some applications, like streaming
music and making voice calls, are often used on the move.
Others, such as video and games, are generally used
when sitting down in one place. Regardless of location,
these applications demand seamless indoor and
outdoor performance.
For example, music streaming is often interrupted when
you leave your home Wi-Fi coverage and walk onto the
street in the morning. The same problem is experienced
with mobile voice calls, which can be disconnected when
you enter an office building, subway or elevator.
Live video calling quickly shifts from being a fixed activity
to a mobile one, requiring both high throughput and low
latency. Making video calls in any private or corporate
environment demands high performance of both fixed and
mobile networks.
App coverage is a 3D game
There shouldn’t be a compromise anymore – all services
must work everywhere. Today, consumers demand that
connectivity works all the time and at a high quality –
whether it’s for personal or professional reasons.
We provide high quality user experiences everywhere
through superior app coverage. Generally, being far away
from a cell antenna means a weaker signal and a poorer
experience. When applying app coverage indoors, we must
not only consider the distance from the antenna, but also
the density and distribution of building material in between.
2 ERICSSON Optimizing the indoor experience
3. In reality, app coverage works in three dimensions and
vertical coverage is just as important as horizontal. We
must also consider quality factors – mobility, throughput
and latency.
An office plaza – we need secure connectivity for just
about everything at work, including voice calls, email, video
conferencing, sharing files, using enterprise cloud services,
collaborating on documents or simply surfing the web.
The next big competition
Indoor performance is not just a concern for operators.
It will be of equal importance in the competition between
commercial property owners. Indoor performance
determines the experience of a shopping mall or sports
arena. For example it could influence people’s decision to
buy something in a specific store, take the bus instead of
the subway, or be a key factor in enabling services within
high-rise apartments or enterprise buildings. Performance
matters most to users in different indoor locations, such as:
end-to-end capability
The indoor challenge requires a holistic approach to
enabling real performance. As the industry leader, Ericsson
has the experience, capacity and portfolio to solve it.
The subway – we rely on connectivity to access
entertainment while on our daily commute, or to catch
up on work on the way there. In the near future, we may
even need it to enter the subway by using our phones as
digital passes.
Different solutions are needed depending on the size and
complexity of the buildings. In addition, these solutions
should work together as one network, across technologies
and indoor/outdoor boundaries. Indoor and outdoor cells
must be coordinated to complement each other, and Wi-Fi
needs to work with existing 3GPP technologies (2G, 3G,
LTE). This means only integrated Wi-Fi and 3GPP networks
can provide a consistent user experience. These solutions
also need to be incorporated across all levels of network
architecture – from access to core – and controlled by one
integrated network management system.
Shopping malls – we use connectivity for many activities
such as comparing prices online, sharing what we bought
on social networks, and even paying for goods. Shops
could also use it to broadcast advertisements
and promotions.
By understanding the exact requirements of an area, we
can optimize the network’s performance, scalability and
integration. Our goal is for indoor and outdoor networks to
work seamlessly together, providing the user with highquality experiences no matter where they are.
We call it Real Performance.
www.ericsson.com/real-performance
ERICSSON Optimizing the indoor experience 3