Traffic inspection for visibility, control and new business opportunities

The volume of traffic generated by streaming and file-sharing applications makes it difficult for operators to meet subscribers’ expectations on mobile broadband services. A policy control solution, based on deep packet inspection and heuristic analysis, is essential to secure the user experience and protect margins.

Mobile broadband operators need policy control solutions to optimize the use of network resources. Such solutions enable the introduction of differentiated service offerings, meeting the needs of various subscriber segments. Delay-sensitive traffic can then be prioritized over best-effort applications, improving the quality of service for subscribers. They also allow the study of traffic patterns, providing insights into subscriber behavior and preferences.

The combined benefits can lead to a larger subscriber base thanks to greater subscriber loyalty and easier acquisition of new subscribers. Policy control solutions also open up new business opportunities with third-party content providers, another source of increased revenue.

The traffic inspection part of a policy control solution can be implemented in the core network or in the access edge network. The actual traffic inspection engine is either integrated with existing network elements or based on dedicated, stand-alone nodes. The optimal solution depends on several factors and in some cases may be a hybrid (combined) solution.

Operators’ business environment is constantly changing and flexibility is one of the most important requirements for a cost-efficient, future-proof solution. It should be possible to move from a basic traffic management solution to a full-scale policy control architecture. In the case of hybrid solutions, a common software platform simplifies operations and allows for such a smooth migration.