Wireless VoIP

Please note Eric will be speaking over Skype

• Examining the opportunities for Skype on mobile networks
• What are the challenges for implementing mobile VoIP?
• Exploring Skype’s experiences from partnership with Hutchison 3G

• Examining which business models are available to the different players in the wireless VoIP market: - MNOs - Fixed line operators - MVNOs - ISPs - wISPs - Hotspot providers
• Exploring the role of wireless VoIP in an FMC business model - What technical and organisational changes are required to implement the model?
• Building strategic alliances to enable this FMC model
• Which business models have been adopted to date and by whom?
• Forecasting the impact of wireless VoIP on the different players in the telecoms market and predicting who the dominant players will be

• Examining the buying psychology of mobile customers - What factors drive customers to adopt different mobile offerings: price, handset subsidies, value-added services?
• What can wireless VoIP realistically offer the consumer that cellular operators can not?
• Are the business models of current wireless VoIP operators dependent on cheap international calls and is this a viable long term model?
• Can MNOs drop their prices sufficiently to forestall the encroachment of wireless VoIP service providers?

• Defending market share by developing VoIP over Wi-Fi Hotspot services
• Does wireless VoIP present a solution to poor in-building coverage and can it offset peak traffic load?
• Should MNOs act now and implement VoWLAN strategies or develop VoWiMAX and VoIP over 3G strategies for the near future?
• Developing defensive strategies to combat the threat from new wireless VoIP entrants: - Legal strategies - Building pricing bundles which offset the benefit of wireless
• VoIP - Exploiting marketing and value added services to ensure customer loyalty

• Identifying the opportunities wireless VoIP offers to well-established operators
• Examining how a fixed incumbent operator can evolve their network strategy to support wireless VoIP services
• Positioning wireless VoIP and creating new business models for incumbents
• Evaluating how wireless VoIP can facilitate mobile-to-fixed substitution

Is wireless VoIP on the verge of dismantling traditional hierarchies, rendering cellular technology obsolete, driving down prices and revolutionising the telecoms industry? Or is wireless VoIP surrounded by an ever increasing level of hype and will it only ever play a minor role, perhaps in niche markets, in the telecoms industry? This session will allow you to discuss the issues and join the debate on the future of the industry.

• Are MNOs really under threat considering the prohibitive cost of investing in a mass market wireless VoIP offering?
• Is possible competition in limited market verticals really sufficient to prompt MNOs to invest in wireless VoIP technology?
• Will wireless VoIP form a key component of FMC strategies?
• Assessing the intentions of current and potential market entrants and whether they really intend to, or can, challenge the dominance of the MNOs
• Examining the true extent of enterprise and consumer demand for wireless VoIP services

• How did VoIP providers enter the telecoms market and challenge fixed line operators?
• Examining the fixed VoIP business case and the uptake of VoIP services over the last five years
• Outlining the marketing strategies employed by fixed VoIP providers and how consumers were educated about their services
• What were the major technical challenges for achieving mass adoption of VoIP services?
• Examining customer care and QoS issues in the fixed VoIP market
• How can the experience and best practices from the fixed VoIP market be applied to the wireless VoIP market?
• Exploring the strategies fixed line operators used to counter the threat of fixed VoIP

• Exploring strategies for deploying wireless VoIP services to win back lost voice revenues from mobile operators
• What is the scale of the opportunity that wireless VoIP presents?
• What VoWLAN solutions are available and what customer benefits do they deliver?
• Learning from BT customer case studies
• What key deployment issues need to be addressed?

With new dual-mode handsets being launched by the major manufacturers this year, VoWLAN appears to be gaining backing from major players in the telecoms industry. But is there a business case for deploying VoWLAN services with the technical difficulties, cost implications and potential of VoIP over WiMAX or 3G? This session is your opportunity to take part in the debate surrounding VoWLAN business models.

• How can VoWLAN improve the telecom offer for consumers?
• Examining the technical limitations of access point congestion and the resulting delay, network jitter and packet loss
• Assessing the security challenges of WLAN networks and their implication for VoIP
• Should MNOs be developing a VoWLAN strategy?
• Outlining the costs involved in launching a VoWLAN service and predicting ROI
• Is there a business case for MVNOs to offer VoWLAN as well as cellular services?

• Analysing the development, implications and capabilities of Metrozone WiFi Networks
• Achieving mobility for services across enterprise WiFi networks and home WiFi networks
• Exploring voice propositions in convergence enterprise and consumer WiFi services

• Examining the requirements of the enterprise market for wireless VoIP from an enterprise perspective
• What are the main demands of the enterprise market? Reduced cost, additional services, unified communications systems?
• What levels of retraining and organisational remodelling are acceptable to accommodate the adoption of wireless VoIP?
• Examining the levels of capex enterprises would be willing to invest in wireless VoIP
• Learning lessons from previous communication and IT infrastructure changes

• To what extent will wireless VoIP flat rate pricing drive down current mobile tariff structures?
• Examining the impact of wireless VoIP on overall revenues - How can MNOs use pricing strategies to respond to the threat of wireless VoIP providers?
• How will future 3G pricing levels be affected by wireless VoIP?

• What is the difference between wireless and mobile VoIP?
• Examining current and forecasted adoption of wireless VoIP services
• Will the market transition from wireless to mobile VoIP?
• How will the transition impact mobile, fixed and integrated operators?
• What technologies will be the key enablers of mobile VoIP: HSxPA, EV-DO+, WiMAX?

Price is perhaps the key driver for the adoption of wireless VoIP services. If wireless VoIP providers adopt flat rate pricing strategies, how will this affect the mobile market in general? This panel discussion will answer these questions and allow you to participate in the debate.

• Will MNOs be forced to adopt flat rate structures in response to the threat of wireless VoIP?
• Is flat rate pricing the best way to introduce 3G services and will this be enough to counteract the threat of wireless VoIP?
• Are flat rate pricing strategies enough of an incentive for enterprises and consumers to take up wireless VoIP services?

• Assessing the requirements of the roaming user and what current roaming services offer
• Are 2G/3G data roaming and WiFi competing businesses?
• How can operators build on their key strengths in the roaming market?
• Examining the technical architecture for 2G-3G/WiFi data roaming
• Exploring the role of carriers as intermediaries in the value chain

• Examining the business models for offering international roaming services that bypass traditional mobile roaming
• Forecasting the demand and identifying the customer base for wireless VoIP based international roaming services
• What level of VoWLAN coverage is necessary to enable a viable international roaming service?
• Examining the role of SIP based networks in enabling domestic and international roaming
• Using a Bluetooth/WiFi box to eliminate GSM network access

• Creating the ecosystem for a successful MVNO Fixed Mobile Convergence service - handsets, networks, and new applications
• Examining why the mobile provider is a key enabler for an MVNO service
• Creating the right services and applications to develop and retain customers
• Assessing the technical requirements for launching a successful MVNO Fixed Mobile Convergence service - Does a SIP approach provide flexibility in developing applications for pre-IMS and IMS network? - Enabling seamless handover based on current VCC technical requirements, including case studies
• Enabling seamless handover based on current VCC technical requirements, including case studies
• Looking at global implementations to learn best practices for MVNOs

• What dual-mode handsets are currently available on the market?
• Outlining the functionality and usability of current dual-mode handsets
• Provisioning technical support for dual-mode handsets
• Assessing the level of demand for WiFi only handsets
• Formulating realistic handset pricing for the corporate and consumer markets
• What solutions have been developed to overcome battery life limitations?
• Determining whether the performance requirements for supporting VoWiFi have been met

• What dual-mode handsets are currently available on the market?
• Outlining the functionality and usability of current dual-mode handsets
• Provisioning technical support for dual-mode handsets
• Assessing the level of demand for WiFi only handsets
• Formulating realistic handset pricing for the corporate and consumer markets
• What solutions have been developed to overcome battery life limitations?
• Determining whether the performance requirements for supporting VoWiFi have been met

• Are dual-mode terminals and wireless VoIP the real drivers for FMC?
• Examining the operators approach to wireless VoIP and FMC with a focus on the Italian market
• Investigating dual mode terminal options and current market offerings
• Addressing issues of customization

To drive the wireless VoIP market forward companies will have to work together and form alliances in order to provide robust and cost effective solutions and handsets. However, the extent to which current players are doing this has been questioned. This panel discussion will allow you to join the debate on the following:

• Examining how handset manufacturers and wireless VoIP providers have worked together to date
• Identifying the potential barriers to cooperation and areas of possible conflict
• Outlining what steps can be taken to form effective partnerships in offering wireless VoIP solutions

• Comparing "naked" wireless VoIP with wireless VoIP as part of a bundle
• Assessing the benefits of bundling wireless VoIP services
• Bundling Wireless VoIP with other services in the various wireless VoIP platforms: - In the home (WLAN, other variants) - Consumer Public Space / Business Campus (WLAN,WiMax) - In conjunction with Mobile (3G)
• Fighting the inherent price-erosion of bundling - Finding valuable services to add to the bundle - Magnifying the benefits of the bundle to the user
• Examining the opportunities of wireless Video-oIP
• Understanding consumer requirements for converged services and how operators should respond to these requirements
• Exploring the current strategies of network operators and service providers

• What is the current status of wireless VoIP regulation?
• What needs to be included in the regulation to make it effective?
• Examining the challenges of wireless VoIP regulation - Emergency service calls - Ensuring non-telecoms entrants into the wireless VoIP market are subjected to the same requirements as telecoms entrants
• How do the US and EU regulatory bodies view wireless VoIP?
• When will wireless VoIP regulation be formulated and implemented?

• Examining the role of customer-centric service quality management in providing real-time visibility to customer care of the quality of wireless VoIP service
• What are the unique challenges of customer care for wireless VoIP?
• What integration is needed with other departments to deliver effective customer care for wireless VoIP?
• Exploring the optimum provision of customer care - Feasibility of 'self-service' - What are the limiting factors in terms of technology?
• What customer care services do current wireless VoIP service providers offer?
• Forecasting longer-term trends in customer care for wireless VoIP

• Examining how SIP can enable seamless handover and ensure QoS during VoWLAN calls
• To what extent will 802.11r improve WLAN’s ability to carry voice packets and overcome: - access point congestion - network jitter - packet loss
• Overcoming VoWLAN interference from walls, other phones and WLANs in neighbouring buildings
• Monitoring performance characteristics to ensure continued QoS for Wi-Fi
• Examining the technical challenges of mid-call hand off - Which players are bringing an integrated product to market that will enable mid-call hand-of?

• Analysing the results of UMA trials to date - Key operator requirements for the UMA service - How do UMA networks perform? - What lessons have been learnt?
• Assessing the level of MNO support for UMA
• Understanding how UMA will evolve to support IMS applications
• Balancing the time-to-market advantages of UMA against alternative technologies - When will VCC be ready and will it provide a better solution compared to UMA?
• Is a hybrid UMA/IMS solution the answer?
• Determining whether UMA and WiMAX interworking is possible

• Determining the requirement for IMS in a voice only wireless VoIP service
• Examining SIP and IMS interoperability and its implications for enabling wireless VoIP
• Offsetting the increased cost of running VoIP over 3G with IMS against the additional revenues IMS applications and bundled services will enable
• Does the additional functionality and improved continuity of service that IMS provides justify investing in the technology?
• Examining the strategic value of IMS: new scenarios for operators

Perhaps the most talked about technical issue in terms of wireless VoIP and handset technologies is seamless handover. This session will question whether seamless handover is an essential element of a wireless VoIP service.

• Do all customers require and expect a seamless handover between networks?
• Which customers are most QoS sensitive and is there a business case for additional charging for seamless handover?
• Ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction to compensate for deficiencies in mid-call hand-off
• Which technologies offer true seamless handover and is the investment in them justified?

• Exploring the potential of VoIP over WiMAX to bring down the barriers for entry into the mobile voice market and challenge the position of MNOs
• Examining the technical capacity of WiMAX to carry voice packets and ensure call quality and the role of antenna technology in boosting that capacity
• Will WiMAX coverage and uptake be sufficient to support a viable VoWiMAX business case?
• Can VoIP be the killer application to drive demand for WiMAX?

• Assessing the business case for launching a VoWiMAX service
• Overcoming the challenges of technically deploying a VoWIMAX service
• Examining optimum solutions to minimise the cost of deployment
• Marketing bundled wireless VoIP and broadband services
• Forecasting demand and targeting key market segments
• Implementing transparent billing and pricing strategies

• What are the current strategies for VoIP end-to-end termination for wireline and cable VoIP operators?
• Can current fixed VoIP termination technologies be applied to wireless VoIP?
• Examining the roaming authentication challenges unique to wireless VoIP
• What is the current status of ENUM IETF RFC 3761 for number translations in NGN networks?

If there is a business case for consumers and enterprises subscribing to one network that can handle data and voice traffic, service providers will have to make the choice between the Wi-Fi and 3G networks. This session will allow you to debate the pros and cons of each network type and discuss the future of wireless VoIP.

• Is there a business case for investing in VoWLAN or VoWiMAX technologies if HSDPA will support wireless VoIP?
• What are the timelines for HSDPA deployment and when will VoIP over HSDPA become a reality?
• Are MNOs exploring VoIP over HSDPA and what is the business case?
• Forecasting the costs of supporting VoIP on HSDPA networks and determining whether they are prohibitive