Mobile operators don’t like to admit they have a data problem, but the recent surges in mobile broadband and 3G data plan have obviously created congestion problems for operators. IP traffic on their networks have spiked, as have the associated costs of delivering it. Operators in the US have addressed that problem by restricting the amount of data a customer can consume. They’ve instituted caps or quotas set at specific numbers of [m]egabytes or gigabytes and then charge customers sometimes punitive for going over those limits. This bucket-of-megabytes approach mirrors the minute and message plans operators use to sell voice and SMS today, but customers don’t consume data the same way they consume voice or text messaging. They’re accustomed to unlimited broadband service at home and in the office. How do operators reconcile those differences?

Mobile operator consultant Aircom believes that data caps aren’t always the best way to for operators to maximize usage of their 3G networks while preventing abuse. In this Webcast, Aircom director of solutions and innovation Ricky Watts discusses some of those alternatives, which range from dynamic tariffing to policy control, strategic network enhancements and even the possibility of network sharing. In addition to outlining alternatives, Watts will delve deeply into specific case studies—some for the first time—of foreign and domestic operators it is working with to develop a comprehensive data strategy. Some examples:

• A case study of a US operator already feeling network strain from data usage, but working with Aircom to relieve that congestion through a combination of coverage improvements and implementation of quality of service
• A case study of a European operator that has overcome data network costs by sharing 3G infrastructure
• A case study of an African operator that uses dynamic tariffing to charge customers lower rates when its network is uncongested

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Everyone’s talking about the impending paradigm shift in telecom and IT from traditional hosted apps and managed services to a new breed of cloud-based offerings: Software-, Computing- and Platform-as-a-Service. But what are the real-world business models that will make these concepts lucrative for service providers?

What technological and operational transformations are required for service providers of various types to compete in these new markets, and how can they leverage their unique advantages? How will these new services be sold, delivered and billed? This Webcast will clarify the business models behind the cloud.

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Online billing can save money, speed payment, improve the efficiency of your revenue center and reduce customer churn. And customers appreciate greater control over their billing relationship.

Learn the best practices for online customer billing and service – how to implement a paperless bill, drive traffic to your web site, improve customer service and ready your call center for this new world.

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When it comes to broadband billing, the staple all-you-can-eat approach is going away. But, what will replace it in the broadband of the future? A key driver of more flexible consumer broadband services will be more flexible and powerful service provider billing, charging and pricing applications. In this Inside Telecom Live Webcast, Telephony looks at the tactics and back-office platforms to give service providers more control over how they deliver, control and price broadband services.

Among the topics to discuss will be:

• The problems with the one-size-fits-all approach to billing and charging for carrier broadband delivery.
• Trends in broadband billing and charging today – Where is the industry at? Where is it headed, and what will it take to get there?
• The new services a flexible broadband billing system can enable, as well as what services consumers will pay a premium for.
• Maneuvering network management, policy control, front-end business rule creation and back-end billing outputs.
• Operator case studies and examples from outside of telecom. While many savvy operators are beginning to think about flexible policy-driven pricing schemes, very few have implemented any in practice. Which operators are doing it well, and what can others learn from them?
• The best network architectures and the role of deep packet inspection and network management.
• The customer’s viewpoint – how to identify high-value customers and get all consumers more active in choosing and understanding how they consume and are charged for bandwidth.
• Key concepts and takeaways in this new broadband billing and charging paradigm.

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The real promise of IPTV is the ability to leverage the IP pipe to target consumers down to the individual household and, eventually, even the individual TV watcher. How can IPTV service providers capitalize on this opportunity for personalization? Importantly, how can they ensure a consumer’s right to privacy in the process? What additional opportunities and challenges does this present?

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The Obama Administration’s economic stimulus plan includes $7.2 billion in funds for building broadband networks in unserved and underserved areas, as well as another $2 billion in Rural Utility Service funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This new funding has created both excitement and confusion among service providers with rural high-cost territories. In this Telephony Webinar, Thomas Cohen, partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Kelley Drye, and a specialist in telecommunications law, will unravel some of the mystery of broadband stimulus funding. He will explain, based on all information available to date, what kinds of projects are likely to be funded, as well as the process involved in obtaining funding. Service providers looking for expert advice on how they can capitalize on the Broadband Stimulus package to better serve their constituents will want to hear this Telephony Webinar, sponsored by Telco Systems.

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As service providers work to grow their share of the fast-growing carrier Ethernet services market, they must optimize their networks end-to-end for Ethernet service delivery. Carriers are forced to determine not only how to scale their networks to meet the demand for those services but also how best to balance layer 2 and layer 3 technologies for their particular business model. This Webcast will explore how carriers can utilize the latest advances in carrier Ethernet technology to manage end-to-end services most effectively, staying ahead of market demand while maximizing cost efficiency.

Topics to be addressed:

• Strategies for metro, edge and access Ethernet deployment
• Advances in Ethernet transport technologies
• Managing a mix of layer 2 and layer 3-based services end-to-end
• Maximizing efficiency in migrating legacy service

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