7/28/2019 WLAN 3G Off Load in Shandong China

1/2JAN 2013

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ISSUE 68

Huawei Communicate

52

Making WLAN work

Operators are nding WLAN deployment for 3G ofoad necessary to stay aoat amidst a deluge of data, but the process

of constructing a carrier-class WLAN is no easy task. China Mobile Shandong, however, has made remarkable progress in

this regard, making it a model for others to follow, both at home and abroad.

WLAN A mobile Internetbreakthrough

urrently, broadband access over 3Gcellular networks is rather limitedthanks to spectrum scarcities and highnetwork rollout and expansion costs.

According to the UMS Forum, mobile traicwill exceed 2011 levels by 32 old in 2020, totalingover 127 exabytes. his level will overwhelm 3Gnetworks as they are now, even with the help o amore mature LE ecosystem. WLAN can providehigh-speed data services at minimal cost, as itsestimated construction costs per gigabit are one-

ortieth to one-sixtieth o those or 3G.With the widespread application o Wi-Fi, mobile

operators can employ WLAN as an economical

supplement or 3G networks. China elecom putorward a strategy o developing CDMA in concertwith WLAN in May 2011. In 2012, the operatorearmarked about RMB1.67 billion (USD270million) or WLAN, deploying 400,000 accesspoints (APs). China Mobile has also prioritizedWLAN as it looks to syne rg ize it s GSM/D-SCDMA/LE DD technologies. For 2012, ithas planned to deploy more than two million APsnationwide and replace wired access with WLANin certain pilot areas, including eastern ChinasShandong Province.

C

By Qiao Ruole

7/28/2019 WLAN 3G Off Load in Shandong China

2/2

Strategic Operations

JAN 2013.

ISSUE 6853

Hindrances to WLAN

Construction o carrier-class WLAN requires theovercoming o a rat o challenges. One is ease o

use, as users need to be aware o WLAN coverageand availability. Operators are expected to recordWLAN service coverage data in their OSS duringWLAN deployment, and to disclose the relevantinormation online. A simple authenticationprocess is also needed, as smooth coordinationbetween WLAN and the macro network will nothappen without it, nor will seamless roaming(another major issue here). WLAN conigurationshould support various device access methods andauthentication modes, such as Portal, MAC addressbinding, EAP-PEAK, and EAP-SIM.

Charging is also a major concern. Operatorsmust provide uniorm service packaging withprecise charging mechanisms or WLAN users,irrespective o terminal brand or category. Flexiblecharging modes will vary by duration, interval(unlimited duration but limited volume), orvolume, while monthly packages can be bundledwith other value-added service oerings. However,WLAN users need to be crystal-clear about theirtrac volume usage; SMS reminders can come inhandy here.

Sophisticated carrier-class networks entail

meticulous planning, design, and maintenance,as WLAN coverage typically has a limited range,requiring a rather large number o APs, all owhich must be managed, powered, monitored, andmaintained.

WLAN in Shandong

China Mobile Shandong (Shandong Mobile)is a pioneer in WLAN substitution. From 2002to August 2010, the operator deployed roughly

60 thousand APs around Shangdong province,serving a very large number o data card users andheralding the era o commercial WLAN in China.As o mid-2011, Shandong Mobile had deployedup to 14 thousand hotspots or areas such ascolleges, traic hubs, hotels, resorts, commercialbuildings, and residential complexes, or which theoperator releases inormation regularly regardingcoverage and provides exible web-based customerservices.

Shandong Mobile employs Huaweis SIM-basedauthentication solution, which enables integration

o its 3G network with WLAN, streamlining thehandset authentication process, rom the terminalto the WLAN, GPON, BRAS, and Authentication,Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) protocols.Account names and passwords are required or

frst-time users only.hanks to MAC address binding, Shandong

Mobile subscribers enjoy simpliied authenticationcourtesy o BRAS redevelopment and Portal/AAAprogramming, the latter o which enables usersto roam via WLAN in other provinces seamlessly.For visitors to Shandong, access controllers (ACs)orward authentication requests to RemoteAuthentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)servers, and the subsequent web authenticationprocess is ollowed in the same manner.

Shandong Mobile also provides assorted tari

packages. I users choose duration-based charging,users are charged according to total service time,regardless o the terminal, by registering theirmobile phone number. Users can also subscribe toseparate WLAN services or packages with a reecapped WLAN duration.

Tis had led to a boom in Shandong Mobilesdata services, as well as synergy between theoperators GSM/D-SCDMA/WLAN/LE DDtechnologies, which have combined to keep itsprofts healthy.

Prev ious ly , the WLAN bearer network

had cons i s ted o switches rom mult ip levendors, meaning high OPEX and a protractedtroubleshooting process that drew customer ire.his motivated the operator to use GPONs orWLAN traic. hrough its utilization o ONUswith Power over Ethernet (POE) or APs, GPONsupports Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet(PPPoE) simulation, automatic ault diagnostics,and precise location, leading to constructioncost reductions o 30 to 40% when compared toswitches.

Shandong Mobile has successully converged

WL AN with its legac y network technology,reducing construction costs per gigabit andrelieving the burden on the macro network, whilemaking expansion easier to achieve. Te operatorcurrently boasts ive million WLAN users, whileits commercial applications enjoy wide coverage,simple authentication, user experience excellence,service package lexibility, and easy maintenance,making the operator a model or others to ollowinto the realm o commercial WLAN.

Editor: Xu Shenglan xushenglan@huawei.com

Making WLAN work