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Technology is changing the shape of the market landscape and the dynamics of
competition farther than any reasonable business plan can accommodate.
There is now a far simpler route for operators to arrive at these goals Utilising Roaming Hubs!
Given the rapid and constantly transformative pace of technological development mentioned
above, the operator that stands still could be the one that falls behind. Technology is changing
both the shape of the market landscape and the dynamics of competition spread across every
corner of this landscape as far as, and probably farther, than any reasonable business plan can
accommodate. The number of services available to users is increasing and each roaming
service requires dedicated configuration and testing. According to the GSMA there are currently
around 800 mobile operators active in the world today and that number is steadily increasing.
As the global network of operators continues to expand exponentially, so will the number of
mobile roaming partners and roaming requirements will become a higher priority to the carriers.
Mobile users require availability of voice, messaging and data services in any 2G, 3G or 4G
environment. Subscribers that do not have continuous access to basic telephony or data
services have a propensity to churn. The expansion of Wi-Fi hotspots is educating users to find
viable connectivity alternatives when their core service weakens, or when they have
experienced a bill shock due to roaming charges. The growth of MVNOs with roaming
capabilities can also serve to create greater promiscuity or churn in an already fragile market.
Each of these market influences is addressed below.
The continued development of new mobile services and technologies presents an additional
challenge to operators, as roaming connections and agreements need to be updated more
regularly. The associated complexities are especially challenging against a backdrop of
heightened competition, tighter margins and the previously mentioned level of service
development.
The roaming hub for a roaming market one call does it all
As the roaming environment becomes more complicated operators would be advised to
investigate the potential business benefits of the roaming hub. This approach offers a best-ofbreed platform on which to establish a roaming footprint. It also offers considerable opportunity
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for cost savings and would likely mean that the roaming hub would perform testing on behalf of
the operator.
A roaming hub provides operators with an instant, efficient and streamlined environment for
boosting their roaming footprint. Bilateral agreements, which can be costly and time consuming,
are replaced in the hub environment with one multilateral agreement. The roaming hub provides
one technical and one commercial relationship, based on industry best practice. This removes
the need for multiple roaming agreements and a series of separate tests that are required to
expanding roaming networks.
The GSMAs Open Connectivity initiative, in which BICS was one of the first participants, was
a welcome development in an industry-wide effort for mobile operators to truly realise the
achievement of critical mass, and ubiquity of service globally.
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they allow full end-to-end monitoring of roaming quality and customer experience. Mobile
operators realise that subscribers pay for a service that they expect to be delivered with a high
level of quality, and failing to provide a quality-focused service may become an inhibitor that
may impact an operators reputation from the short to long-term.
IPX
Up until now traditional time division multiplex (TDM) has been adequate for supporting critical
services voice and messaging but operators are now expected to deliver a wide range of
data services of the highest levels of quality. With the roll-out of 4G/LTE networks, two of the
key mandatory service needs are IP interconnection and roaming. Operators that do not realign
their capabilities to provide these, will not be able to take advantage of the opportunities they
both offer.
The GSM Associations IP eXchange (IPX) was introduced to replace legacy TDM and to
support the new wave of IP-based voice, video and real-time multimedia applications. IPX can
fulfil a critical need, both now and into the future, for both fixed and mobile operators. IPX can
be viewed as a private IP cloud, offering a much more secure ecosystem; one that is closed
instead of open, which offers more secure and reliable connections than the best effort that the
internet can offer. IPX also enables mobile operators to work more closely with OTT players
encouraging them to use IPX to interconnect with them.
IPX provides a private and secure IP foundation that allows operators to expand their global
voice and data services. BICS has pioneered the use of this technology with global carriers and
its IPX solutions have already been adopted by its customers. By partnering with the right
service provider, operators are able to seamlessly deliver critical traffic at the highest possible
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levels of quality, while also meeting the increasing bandwidth and demand for new data
services in a cost effective way.
MVNOs
The MVNO market is developing rapidly. According to a Wireless Intelligence report from June
2012, there are now 812 MVNOs globally, and this is increasing daily. European Union
legislation, designed to cut wholesale and retail data roaming rates, has enabled MVNOs to
better compete in the roaming space. Key growth markets are currently the UK, the
Netherlands, France and Israel. In the UK alone there are some 40+ MVNOs, including
supermarket brands like Tesco Mobile and service providers such as Lycatel and Lebara
Mobile, catering to resident ethnic communities. These MVNOs are providing affordable mobile
services to niche markets not specifically served by incumbent mobile operators.
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National MVNOs will be joined by roaming-only MVNOs. There are many forms of MVNO,
notably Mobile Virtual Network Enablers (MVNEs). Lacking a mobile infrastructure or mobile
license, an MVNE typically handles customer service, billing and mobile handset management.
MVNOs can acquire national voice and SMS services at a discount of around 50 per cent on
retail prices. However, new legislation allows roaming services to be bought at a discount of 5070 per cent on the retail price cap.
Roaming-only MVNOs will be able to enter the market in July 2014, through providing voice,
SMS and data roaming to subscribers who want to stay with their existing operator for their
domestic services. Single and dual IMSI technology, which separates the provision of domestic
and European roaming services while retaining the same number for both, will play a crucial
role in assisting MVNOs in the roaming market.
A roaming hub that can flexibly offer single and dual IMSI roaming will enable MVNOs, and
operators alike, to gain access to hundreds of international roaming agreements and market
best IOTs in a platform that is completely managed by the roaming hub; enabling
straightforward and comprehensive international roaming for subscribers.
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Conclusion
There is no doubt that data roaming is rapidly increasing. The number of device types deployed
is proliferating and the demands and expectations of users are becoming increasingly
sophisticated. The level of tolerance of anything less than excellent and seamless service is
diminishing; those days are gone. Subscriber loyalty is now only won and kept on the basis of
cutting edge service delivery. As operators prepare their networks for new devices with new
capabilities, increasing numbers of users and increasingly tough competition, the roaming hub
offers an almost failsafe solution to the provision of a seamless service, combined with a
reduction in cost and complexity if hosted services are brought in as part of the operational mix.
BICS holds a key position in the roaming hubbing landscape, not only does it have long-term
experience in the hubbing environment due to its pioneering hub development in SMS hubbing,
as far back as 2003, but also in recent years it has developed both Dual IMSI, and later Single
IMSI roaming hubbing products. Such a multi-faceted roaming hubbing portfolio enables BICS
to have an open, wide-ranging discussion and engagement with potential, and existing clients
alike, to ensure that the products it provides, address and cater for their needs today, and
tomorrow.
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About BICS
BICS delivers best-in-class international wholesale solutions to any communication service
provider worldwide. Through its Mosaic portfolio, a comprehensive, flexible and innovative suite
of solutions designed to be used individually, or collectively, BICS meets the existing and future
requirements of the global telecoms industry.
Our passionate and creative teams located in Brussels, Bern, Dubai, Singapore and New York,
continuously strive to provide our customers with the highest levels of quality, reliability and
interoperability enabling them to maximise their end-user value.
With our successful consolidation strategy, and a continuing focus on technological
advancement and innovation, we have achieved a world-leading position in the international
Voice and Mobile Data markets.
For more information, please visit: www.bics.com.
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