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October 19, 2009
Are 'Bandit' Devices or Apps Disrupting Network Performance?
By Gary Kim, Contributing Editor
In a recent September traffic analysis for a North American mobile operator, Openwave found some unexpected results. Researchers said they uncovered a category of unknown device or application types operating on the network, which it classified as “bandit” devices or applications.
These bandit devices or applications generate between 1.25 and 1.5 times more traffic than the powerful smart phones sold by the operator and almost 5.5 times more traffic than feature phones, Openwave said. So what sources drive bandit traffic?
Bandit devices include unidentified, unlocked iPhones, USB modems or netbooks from other networks being used on the operator's network.
Beyond separate bandit devices, the high number of unique unknown users might indicate the presence of data-consuming applications which, once downloaded to devices, access the network directly, not using the built-in browser on the phone.
"This raises concerns about the lack of visibility operators have when it comes to planning and mitigating the effects of high data volumes consumed by these devices," Openwave said.
The traffic generated by bandit devices not only impacts the network in terms of congestion and latency problems, but they also have associated financial implications in terms of increased capital expenditure costs due to additional network capacity upgrades in congested areas.
Looking just at unique subscribers, the Openwave analysis suggested that the number of unknown devices being used on the network is almost four times higher than the most-popular device used on the network.
Openwave said that a good traffic management solution, paired with mobile analytics would enable the operator to separate the bandit apps from the bandit devices.
Careful monitoring of ports and protocols used by bandit apps would allow the operator to control the usage of these types of apps. That, of course, assumes such management remains legal.
Beyond that, Openwave said there are some steps the service provider could take to manage bandit devices. The operator could offer exclusive content and device bundles, with advanced personalization and service discovery features, to control the user experience and attract bandit device users to change their devices.
The operator also could better enforce fair usage policies for bandit device users who exceed their monthly data limits, and encourage them to switch to high usage plans.
As an alternative, the operator might offer subscriber information module-only plans with attractive add-on offers for data bundles. That would aim to increase the customer lifetime value and create loyalty.
One wonders if "bandit" devices and applications are partly responsible for previously-unexpected bandwidth load placed on mobile networks.
Gary Kim (News - Alert) is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Gary’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Amy Tierney
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