Where is your smartphone at this moment?
I know you know and the fact that everyone knows where their smartphone is speaking for itself.
Our mobile phones have changed our life. Local searches, online shopping, instant messaging, video games like Minecraft, and social media sharing, you name it.
Humans can’t live without their smartphones anymore!
Internet and mobile telephony are two of the fastest-growing businesses in the telecom sector. By definition, the mobile data system consists of a network of devices requesting information and a server fulfilling this request.
Here are some staggering mobile internet usage statistics that will blow your mind.
- An average American spends 5.4 hours every day on their phones.
- As of 2019, there were 4.4 billion active internet users
- More than 50% of overall video streaming comes from smartphones.
- Approximately half of the teenagers admit that they are addicted to their smartphones (NBC News).
- High internet usage is driving e-commerce growth three times higher than traditional brick and mortar businesses.
These compelling statistics provide reasonable justifications for why telecom providers are looking out for ways to develop new services that drive consumers to utilize more without making their pocket empty.
It is important to know ways in which internet technology is playing its role in upgrading mobile data systems of the future.
Ways internet technology is going to affect the future mobile data system
What does the future hold for the mobile data system?
Here are four ways in which the internet of technology can influence the future of mobile internet.
1. IP services within mobile networks
Quality of mobile IP services in wireless communication networks really matters.
Over the past decade, public land mobile network (PLMN) operators have started delivering data services to data-hungry consumers. The available solutions right now for data transferring over the (global system for mobile communication) GSM network include:
- Short message service (SMS) – allows email exchange.
- Low-speed circuit-switched data (CSD) – allow internet access.
The biggest limitation of using CSD is its low bandwidth of just 14.4 kbps and the sub-optimal utilization of the radio interface. A quick remedy is to upgrade CSD into high-speed circuit-switched data (HSCSD) which is known as evolutionary technology, ensure high-speed implementation of GSM for data transmission.
This extension instantly increases the transmission capacity by allocating up to eight CSD channels to a single user.
But wait, it is not without limitations.
High-speed circuit-switched data deliver critical benefits in faster data transmission over GSM CS, but it has some drawbacks as well.
- Firstly, setting up high-speed circuit-switched data is quite expensive.
- Switching to high-speed circuit-switched data can comprise security.
- This solution still makes use of the circuit connection of the GSM mechanism, which is pretty inefficient when it comes to dealing with the bursting computer data traffic produced by internet applications.
For instance, if you attempt to download a large file, HSCSD may occupy all the channels while the typical web browsing would automatically leave the channels that are not used generally.
Once the channels have been occupied by the HSCSD, it is directly reflected in the service cost even f the user does not use them. This develops an added pressure on the consumers, which is why most telecom operators and service providers don’t use it.
A safer option explained
To overcome this issue, GSM operators are required to deploy general packet radio service (GPRS), a packet-based data bearer service that supports as well as X.25 protocol.
With this, an expected revolution will be the migration towards the third generation mobile system (UMTS) that will encompass significant changes in the use of terminal technology.
2. Mobility within the Internet
As portable devices such as smartphones, laptops, and personal digital assistants are entering into the technological ecosystem, the demand for access to the internet and corporate intranets independent of technology has also grown.
How does it work?
Today’s ISPs are capable of coping with the unique user needs as they offer a set of multiple dial-up services like secure access to enterprise intranets and remote internet access. Almost all of the existing ISPs are connected to each other in confederations (for e.g. iPass and GRIC with the intention to provide wider area access in low price).
All of these advancements are proved to be extremely advantageous for the business person on the move as they are able to access the same domestic services with home ISP without having to subscribe to new services for making distant calls to hometown or for watching the best movies on world war.
All you need to do is to set up a dial-up connection to your nearest network access server (NAS) which is generally controlled by any of the confederation members.
Adding convenience for mobile internet users
Another ongoing evolution is the availability of wireless access for mobile internet. It allows them to stay online around the clock and even during traveling ensuing seamless customer mobility.
The options included in this ongoing evolution are low-cost WLAN solutions that are suitable generally for the indoor environments (for instance, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, homeRF etc.). Another option is the exploitation of the wireless coverage offered by the current cellular operations in the outdoor areas.
The internet service provider Metricom is presently delivering IP services to metropolitan areas of the US through a wide spectrum wireless system that is being operated without licensing. More mobile ISPs are expected to be seen in the coming future inside and outside of the US.
3. Advanced IP mobility protocols
A proposed standardized solution for managing and improving terminal mobility among the IP subnets is mobile IP, also known as MIP. It works at the network layer and allows a host to invisibly alter its node of attachment to the internet.
This feature also allows it to handle mobility among numerous media outlets such as dial-up links, LANs, and wireless channels. A key highlighting feature of MIP is that it cannot be detected by applications meaning that no changes are required to allow mobility.
However, the mobile node (MN) can still communicate through its home address without exposing its original location on the internet. This also means that all the running TCP sessions allow uninterrupted interactions with wireless terminals.
MIP triangular routing
A major limitation of the basic MIP is related to the problem known as triangular routing. This issue is caused because all the packets are moved towards the mobile node, and they have to pass through the home agent which result in increased load on the home network,
A possible remedy to resolve this issue is routing optimization. But again they would require every host to upgrade. This simply means that hosts might be effective only after when they are upgraded after a breakdown event like the evolution of internet protocol IPv6.
4. Evolutionary trends
The recent mobile application development and enhancements in mobile data services are heading towards the coexistence of numerous overlay networks.
a) Overlay networks
At this moment, IP mobility services for consumers are provided through many networks like GSM, GPRS, wireless MAN, and satellite. However, you’ll be surprised to know that not a single one of them is a universal solution as every solution is focused on a particular application and have distinguishable features such as bandwidth, delay, and geographical coverage.
According to Dissertation Assistance UK, the best way to deliver a wide range of services in a low-cost manner is to allow transparent user roaming among all the wireless networks. This is a favorable situation for both the user and the service provider.
b) Interworking between overlay networks
At present, there is zero integration between current mobile data systems. Not only this, every data network has its own user authentication and mobility procedures.
Consequently, the provision of seamless mobility amid overlay networks cannot take place. This means whenever a user starts roaming to a different wireless domain; he is assigned to a new identity (e.g. IP address). With this, the old active communication sessions get lost.
What’s the solution?
A common protocol that can handle inter-domain user mobility is the answer.
c) A new IP perspective
In the future mobile data systems, IP will play a central role in the provision of faster and cost-effective interworking capability amid overlay networks.
What is more, both telecom operators and ISPs should work closely with the authorized bodies such as internet engineering task force (IETF) and 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). The reason is simple and straightforward. These are standard organizations looking early for new possibilities to employ IP and maintain their mobility and security across different wireless networks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, internet technology and mobile data users are growing at an exceptional rate. Telecom service providers are looking out for new ways to generate revenues.
It has been noted that telecom operators and service providers are looking for something that can improvise their ability to completely transform the mobile data systems, giving them more mobility and security while keeping costs low at all times.
The application of internet technology is the most attractive option right now to achieve this goal.