Communications ser vice providers (CSPs) are under attack from new and traditional competitors and at the same time usage of services is dramatically shifting. Thomas Vasen advocates that CSPs move from managing the ser vice to managing the subscriber experience.
Communications service providers (CSPs) are beset by challenges. Over-the-top (OTT) service providers are taking their revenues; customers perceive the handset manufacturers as the providers of their good
experiences and as mobile markets approach saturation, growth opportunities only exist in competing for subscribers with other CSPs. This is causing customer acquisition costs to increase, as well as churn. That cycle is unlikely to decelerate so CSPs need to redefine how they approach delivering good subscriber experiences.
However, there still remains plenty of upside for CSPs if they can create and assure high-quality experiences for their customers. Higher quality results in higher usage, and with data consumption-based price plans now the norm that means more revenue for the CSP.
At times it seems as if CSPs have been stuck in a reactive mode. Traditional networks are static, service profiles are provisioned by the CSP in isolation and new offers are made through sales calls to customers. Rarely does a CSP contact its customers about their experience proactively. Typically, the customer needs to call in and complain if they’re unhappy. When they do, the CSP’s focus is on reducing the number of calls to support centres and in shortening waiting times not on improving the subscriber experience.
However, initiatives that result in fewer calls and more rapid call centre responses are of little value because 96% of unhappy customers typically do not complain. They just leave when it’s time to renew their contract.
It’s time for CSPs to become more proactive and leave their passive approaches in the past. What’s
needed now is automated action. CSPs need to behave more like OTT providers. For example, Amazon automatically issues a refund when it detects the quality of video delivered over its video-ondemand
systems is insufficient. Customers love this because they want the experience they receive to be acknowledged. The key to achieving this is to measure, manage and be aware of the device, location and content used to create a complete picture of the experience.
What’s needed is a new approach that provides a complete loop comprising data collection that delivers
the required perspective and insights needed to take the proper action.
In addition to a transformation in business model and competitive landscape, the telecoms industry is going through a technological shift. The services themselves are changing and so are networks. Traditional probe systems that have been the key tools to capture user experience based on signalling are becoming outmoded because the signalling data doesn’t provide the level of insight required to assure the user experience.
All networks are migrating to internet protocol and with the introduction of LTE the circuit-switched
network has almost completely disappeared from mobile environments. Even voice has become just
another form of data.
This technological change is shifting the monitoring of user experience from the signaling plane to the user plane. With deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, full insights can be gained into the content being transferred from just a few central locations in the network and, with in-line deployment, the experience can be managed.
However, despite providing a sophisticated degree of insights, traffic management using DPI alone is not enough because the radio access network (RAN) perspective also needs to be added. With information about the original location of each of the packets, better informed and more balanced decisions can be made that enable effective management of the crowded access networks.
Once RAN monitoring is added to the insights provided by DPI, the magic can start to happen. For
example, congestion control can be applied for the users located in a cell that is suffering congestion and it can be done in a service- and user profile-aware way. In this way, CSPs can eradicate congestion
affecting key services such as OTT voice, including VoLTE or premium streaming video.
CSPs can now ensure a fair and consistent service is delivered for all subscribers. This is a major step forward in comparison to passive probes that see only the details about the start and end of the session and contain no insight into whether the session delivered a positive experience. Furthermore, the duration of data sessions is making this type of insight irrelevant because some sessions can last for weeks.
DPI-based experience management is a far better approach because it enables the detection of irritating
abnormalities – the issues that annoy users. Its value is further emphasised because DPI-based experience management systems are real-time and deployed inline so action can be taken whether that’s tuning a third party system – such as a video server – or managing the traffic in a band. It’s that ability to take action immediately that makes the difference in a subscriber experience system. For CSPs, it means the days of being passive are over.
