Guest

Mobile Internet Applications and Services

Roaming Controls: Protect Your Customers from Unexpected Charges

Hierarchical Navigation

Downloads

Introduction

Mobile devices are becoming increasingly powerful, and able to consume and generate more data traffic than ever before. According to the Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast, in 2010, the typical smartphone generated 24 times more mobile data traffic than the typical basic-feature mobile phone. On average, a tablet device generated 122 times more traffic than a basic-feature mobile phone, and 5 times more traffic than a smartphone.
With these new mobile devices, users are becoming increasingly aware of how such high data usage affects their mobile data charges, especially while roaming onto other operators' networks. To avoid billing surprises, users will often simply turn off data while roaming, significantly decreasing roaming revenues for operators. Operators who provide Roaming Control services protect their subscribers from worrying about accidentally running up large bills when using mobile networks from their smartphones, tablets, or laptops while visiting another network.

What Is The Opportunity?

Achieve new revenues and increase customer satisfaction by enabling subscribers to confidently use their mobile data services while roaming without fear of unanticipated bill shocks.

What Are The Challenges?

• Offering mobile data plans that respond to customer demand and comply with legislation (for example, European Union [EU] roaming regulations) to set automatic limits on a subscriber's maximum roaming data charges to prevent "bill shock"

• Managing home and roaming usage on a per-subscriber basis

• Warning subscribers when they approach their data-roaming bill limit, and blocking mobile data services once the user reaches the limit

How Will This Impact My Business?

• Increases revenue from roaming subscribers who will continue to consume mobile data services without fear of unexpected usage costs

• Improves customer satisfaction with increased billing transparency and prevention of bill shock (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Roaming Control Services Protect Subscribers from Bill Shock

What Do I Need?

• Cisco ASR 5000 Multimedia Core Platform: Purpose-built mobile multimedia core platform that delivers the performance and intelligence required by today's mobile networks.

• Cisco In-Line Services: Intelligent functions that are integrated into the Cisco ASR 5000 and implemented in the bearer traffic, eliminating the need for external lower-reliability network elements while simplifying the network through integrated services. Roaming Controls use In-Line Services functions such as Enhanced Charging Service and policy enforcement.

• Cisco Mobility Unified Reporting: Solution providing comprehensive statistical analysis and trending of network attributes and subscriber sessions through tight integration with the deep packet inspection (DPI) capabilities of the Cisco ASR 5000. This solution helps operators optimize network performance, target new services, and plan infrastructure investments.

• Cisco Policy and Charging Control (PCC): Standards-based, highly scalable solution for operators to efficiently optimize network resources across subscribers and services while providing significant revenue opportunities by allowing the deployment of new personalized services.

Why Cisco?

Cisco IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN) offers a comprehensive end-to-end IP solution encompassing Radio Access Network (RAN) backhaul, IP edge and aggregation, Evolved Packet Core (EPC), IP core, and data center, optimized for the mobile data surge, while providing an intelligent common IP core across all access types. Cisco's access-independent, IP-based Mobile Internet solutions are key drivers of operator differentiation, new revenues, network optimization, and profitability.
In addition, Cisco Services has the experience, tools, and best practices to help operators reduce time to market in deploying mobile network solutions.

Get Started Today

To find out how Cisco can help you gain new revenues by offering new and differentiated personalized mobile broadband services, contact your Cisco representative or visit www.cisco.com/go/mobile.