The future is flat for network architecture, but not for mobile data

摘要

Industry watchers' predictions of massive take-up of mobile data services appear to be coming true. But although traffic has risen to unprecedented levels, revenues from such services are not following the same steep curve. The problem for operators is that although the growth in traffic is welcome, the cost of delivering and maintaining networks capable of sustaining such growth is rising. Recent studies carried out by Nokia Siemens Networks of HSDPA-traffic volumes and data revenues on its customers' networks show that in the 12 months to end-September, traffic grew as much as 900%, but data revenues grew only 20%. The solution to the problem, according to Ari Kynaslahti, senior product manager at NSN's radio-access-business unit, is to reduce network costs.