Mobile Data Offloading the Growing Need with Its Solutions and Challenges

Abstract

From the last few years, the popularity of video, social media and Internet gaming across a range of new devices like smartphones and tablets has created a surge of data traffic over cellular networks. Device to device connectivity will give rise to a new universe of applications that will further create stress on network capacity [3]. In the next three years alone, it is accepted that data traffic will grow towards tenfold creating a tremendous capacity crunch for operators. While data revenues are expected to only double during this period, which will create a huge gap. As a result, different innovative solutions have emerged to man age data traffic. Some of the key technologies include Wi-Fi, LTE Small Cell and Relay, femtocells, DTN-based Network, and IP flow mobility. Therefore, telecom operators need to constantly review their implement traffic offloading mechanisms that will help them manage their network load and capacity mo re efficiently. This paper describes various data offload strategies and considers the challenges and benefits associated with each of them. This paper aims to provide a survey of mobile data offloading technologies including insights from the business per spective as well.