Data Roaming

This publication has been discontinued on November 23, 2011.

Introduction

Abstract

This report presents the trends of the emerging market of international roaming for data services on GSM / 3G mobile networks, the services and tariffs offered by European operatorsand their evolution. It also analyses the technology involved to provide data roaming services and the relations between the different players: mobile network operators, international transit carriers and clearing houses.

• What is data roaming? How is it implemented?
• How does 3GSM roaming compare with WI-FI roaming?
• What are the main categories of usage of data roaming?
• Which services can drive the development of the market?
• What are the challenges for optimizing data roaming operation?
• What solutions do international transit carriers and clearing houses offer?
• What is the strategy of the players?

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. International Roaming: a description

• 2.1. Definition
• 2.2. Features of International Roaming
• 2.3. Technical elements of International Roaming
  • 2.3.1. GSM / UMTS networks
  • 2.3.2. Devices
  • 2.3.3. International Roaming mechanisms
  • 2.3.4. Inter-operator interconnection
• 2.4. Commercial elements of roaming
  • 2.4.1. Roaming subscriptions parameters
  • 2.4.2. Roaming agreements
  • 2.4.3. Inter-Operator Tariffs and Transferred Account Protocol
  • 2.4.4. Retail roaming tariffs
  • 2.4.5. Inter-operator billing and Data clearing
  • 2.4.6. Inter-operator financial settlement and clearing
• 2.5. Data services availability when roaming
• 2.6. Other forms of international roaming
  • 2.6.1. Inter-standard roaming
  • 2.6.2. Satellite Mobile Networks
  • 2.6.3. Wi-Fi roaming
  • 2.6.4. SIM swapping

3. Strategy an key issues for mobile operators

• 3.1. Technical and operational issues
  • 3.1.1. Manage growing complexity of roaming agreements
  • 3.1.2. Ensure end-to-end interoperability and QoS
• 3.2. Marketing and commercial issues
  • 3.2.1. Improve service / tariff perception
  • 3.2.2. Generate usage with new services
• 3.3. European regulatory issues
• 3.4. Evolution of data roaming tariffs and service bundles

4. Data roaming market

• 4.1. Market context: networks, devices and subscriptions
• 4.2. Usage of International Roaming
• 4.3. Usage of data roaming
• 4.4. Market estimates and forecasts
• 4.5. Economical and commercial importance of data roaming

5. Case studies: Mobile Network Operators

• 5.1. Orange Group
• 5.2. Orange France - Business Customers
• 5.3. SFR (France)
• 5.4. O2 (United Kingdom)
• 5.5. Vodafone Italy
• 5.6. Hutchinson 3G - United Kingdom
• 5.7. Base - Belgium (KPN Group)
• 5.8. Wind - Italy
• 5.9. Bouygues telecom - France
• 5.10. Tele2Tango - Luxemburg

6. Case studies: Transit carriers / Clearing Houses

• 6.1. Belgacom International Carrier Services
• 6.2. Syniverse
• 6.3. France Telecom International Wholesale Services

7. Annexes

• 7.1. General architecture of GSM / UMTS networks
• 7.2. Protocols used in GSM / UMTS networks

List of tables and figures

• Table 1: Simplified matrix of service compatibility
• Table 2: Architecture of the IPX
• Table 3: Comparison of GSM / 3G roaming and Wi-Fi roaming
• Table 4: Intra-European retail data roaming rates
• Table 5: Typical bandwidth requirements for various mobile applications
• Table 6: Commercial deployment of GPRS and 3G networks
• Table 7: Forecast of subscribers, 3G subscribers and average spending in EU27
• Table 8: European statistics concerning International Roaming
• Table 9: Preference for Mobile Data Services, consumer market
• Table 10: Forecast of data roaming revenues and traffic evolution (intra-Europe)
• Table 11: Forecast of SMS roaming revenues and traffic evolution (intra-Europe)
• Table 12: Forecast of Total Data roaming revenues evolution (intra-Europe)
• Table 13: Major providers of roaming transit and clearing

• Figure 1 : Comparison of direct interconnection and transit models
• Figure 2: Architecture of the GRX
• Figure 3 : Logical architecture of the IPX
• Figure 4 : GSM / 3G coverage
• Figure 5: European retail roaming prices per SMS (April - September 2007)
• Figure 6: Retail Data roaming rates per MByte (April - September 2007)
• Figure 7: Evolution of wholesale tariffs for France (average price per minute for roaming-In)
• Figure 8: Eurotariff: no impact on roaming traffic? (evolution of French roaming traffic)
• Figure 9 : Commercial deployment of 3G networks
• Figure 10 : Commercial deployment of HSDPA
• Figure 11 : 3G and 3.5 handset sales forecasts, million units
• Figure 12: Roaming Out revenue break-out: Spain
• Figure 13: SMS compared to voice (Roaming-Out traffic statistics, Portugal)
• Figure 14: Forecast for data roaming per Mbyte tariff (intra-Europe)
• Figure 15: Forecast of data roaming traffic evolution (intra-Europe) -Base 100 in 2007
• Figure 16: Forecast of data roaming revenues evolution (intra-Europe) - Base 100 in 2007
• Figure 17: Alternative scenarios for data roaming revenues evolution (intra-Europe)
• Figure 18: Forecast for SMS roaming tariff (intra-Europe)
• Figure 19: Forecasts for SMS data roaming (intra-Europe) - Base 100 in 2007
• Figure 20: Forecast of Total Data roaming revenues evolution (intra-Europe)
• Figure 21 : Overview of the GPRS architecture

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