tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post1816632700070748614..comments2024-03-20T22:57:03.923+00:00Comments on Dean Bubley's Disruptive Wireless: Another reason why application-based charging for mobile data won't workDean Bubleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-11508910120584864862011-12-29T02:57:53.605+00:002011-12-29T02:57:53.605+00:00Davide
There's a difference between "Fac...Davide<br /><br />There's a difference between "Facebook Zero" (which is a cut-down version intended for WAP browsers on featurephones) and zero-rating the Facebook app or website.<br /><br />Facebook Zero is usually done as a collaboration between the operator & FB, so obviously it's possible to create something that works as intended (similar to TeliaSonera & Spotify). <br /><br />Zero-rating the FB app on smartphones, or access via the browser, is a very different matter. I'm not aware that FB collaborates directly with operators to create custom versions of the app. It would be impossible to do this purely in the network for the reasons I mention above.<br /><br />Also, I'm a *light* user of Facebook on mobile. Plenty of (mostly younger) people do much more than I do - especially uploading & viewing photos & videos. Also chat etc. I don't believe that it all goes via a single domain either, especially if you look at embedded links.<br /><br />So yes, Facebook Zero can & does work. Zero-rated "full" mobile Facebook doesn't.Dean Bubleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-9171693725305862602011-12-27T05:44:16.577+00:002011-12-27T05:44:16.577+00:00"Applications change on a month-by-month or w..."Applications change on a month-by-month or week-by-week basis. The Facebook app on my iPhone looks different to me (and the network) when it gets upgraded via the AppStore..." <br /><br />It will still use HTML and the same domain name to access Facebook, even if the application changes. That is not a problem.<br /><br />"...half the stuff on my Facebook page (PC or mobile) are links posted on my wall to web pages, images, videos etc..."<br /><br />Yes, but you are not probably the target for that Facebook-zero rating package, and in fact you do not like it. It does not mean a teenager with tight budget and which uses it for mainly status updates (when on the phone) does not like it.Davidenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-49382592188095441342011-11-25T09:48:31.700+00:002011-11-25T09:48:31.700+00:00What have been the results from the Movistar (Tele...What have been the results from the Movistar (Telefonica LatAm) deployment? <br /><br />Is there a detailed case study on uptake, efficacy, impact on customer loyalty, customer support costs etc?<br /><br />I'd certainly seen that example at last year's BBTM & found it highly unconvincing in concept, but if there's hard data about the outcome I'd be interested to hear it.<br /><br />I'm certainly aware that a number of operators are trying this approach. However, operators try lots of things, and this is one which I expect to fail, especially in markets with decent smartphone penetration. <br /><br />It may work better for featurephone users for prepay, or in those instances in which there is very close, deep & ongoing collaboration with both specific Internet companies (eg Facebook) and the local regulator.<br /><br />As for Facebook / Twitter not changing their domain names - half the stuff on my Facebook page (PC or mobile) are links posted on my wall to web pages, images, videos etc. Some are internal to Facebook (eg pics & some videos), some are 3rd-party websites, some go via a CDN like Akamai. They're all part of my Facebook experience, rendered inside the app. <br /><br />When I've been briefed by Sandvine in the past, your representative had no answer to the "mashup problem". Maybe that's now changed?Dean Bubleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-32386765138279286432011-11-24T20:50:22.799+00:002011-11-24T20:50:22.799+00:00I'm not sure i would agree with your thesis. W...I'm not sure i would agree with your thesis. We (Sandvine) have found 'price-certainty' is a big driver for consumers. In pre-paid data markets, consumers buy volume for money. This gives the idea that every web page is some money removed from the wallet, and is a natural barrier to increased data usage.<br /><br />At the event you mention, Sandvine won "Best implementation of tiered data pricing" for its implementation of exactly this price-certainty, which is application-based tiering. We have rolled this out at many customers, including as listed on Telefonica's web-site here <a href="http://www.movistar.co/Personas/Internet_movil/Planes/Paquetes_de_internet/" rel="nofollow">www.movistar.co/Personas/Internet_movil/Planes/Paquetes_de_internet/</a>.<br /><br />To the consumer this is a good thing: for a fixed fee (price-certainty) they get something they value (in this case social networking). For the operator this is also a good thing, the users use more data, and pay more, so costs and revenue track each other somewhat.<br /><br />Its not that complex to roll-out, and its very compelling for the consumer. Although applications may change, you include things that tend to stay constant (facebook and twitter are unlikely to change their domain name).<br /><br />As for why would an application provider try and break it? In this case the interests are aligned with Facebook: more users of their service is a good thing.<br /><br />I do tend to agree there is too much complexity in e.g. the TDF. These policies need to be pushed all the way to the data edge, they cannot involve the signalling plane to be successful.<br /><br />So application tiering does work, we've seen it, its here today.don bowmanhttp://www.sandvine.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-51488303371195075452011-11-24T02:08:46.229+00:002011-11-24T02:08:46.229+00:00Charging isn't the way forward until people ca...Charging isn't the way forward until people can afford to pay. <br /><br />Obvious I know, but there will always be people offering stuff for free - lower quality I admit - but at this economic time it's not a good idea!jason @ Voiphttp://www.think7.co.uknoreply@blogger.com