Nokia Networks’ new technology Saves smartphone signaling by 80%

Cutting back on smartphone signaling by 80%

It’s a few years since the issue of smartphone signaling clogging networks came to the fore. Insight looks at High Speed Cell_FACH, a Nokia feature that can reduce signaling by 80%

The first live network trial of a new way to reduce smartphone signaling has produced better-than-expected results. Why does this matter so much?

Well, when a mobile broadband subscriber runs an application such as WhatsApp Messenger, Facebook Messenger, web browsing or e-mail, an avalanche of small data packets of just a few hundreds of bytes or a few kbytes is often generated by the smartphone. This ‘hidden traffic’ load has major consequences for operators’ ability to provide the service that their customers expect.

Smartphones already outsell feature phones and by 2018, smartphone penetration in some developed markets is expected to exceed 90%. With virtually all these smartphones being 3G-enabled, it’s important to be able to improve network efficiency under high signaling load.

Efficient data handling

Nokia Networks offers a unique set of 3G software features to reduce smartphone signaling. The latest of these is High Speed Cell_FACH. This handles small and medium sized data packets more efficiently to improve the overall customer experience and enable operators to support a higher number of smartphones on their networks.

High Speed Cell_FACH allows operators to better handle these packets on common shared high speed FACH channels, freeing additional capacity for users on HSPA channels where the actual data is transmitted. This gives a better experience for users and allows the system to offer the service for more smartphone users with faster set-up time, meaning your favorite applications will be faster, and with less signaling.

Part of the Nokia Liquid Radio WCDMA Software Suite, High Speed Cell_FACH is already available, allowing operators to prepare for the market when smartphones  support the feature.

Impressive network results

The solution has achieved remarkable results in a live network test, cutting signaling by up to 80% and giving an up to 65% faster application response time, among others. Conducted by Nokia Networks, the tests used devices fitted with Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors*, a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, that support High Speed Cell FACH, on a commercial 3G/HSPA network of a major European operator. This was the first trial of the feature in a live operator network using commercial chipsets.

As well as the greatly reduced signaling and faster application response time, the tests also demonstrated up to 40% reduced power consumption in the cellular modem** and up to 20% faster browsing.

This highly successful trial with a real customer network is further proof of Nokia Networks’ smartphone expertise and our commitment to helping operators support smartphones successfully.

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Category: Nokia