Mobile Operators Must Get Mobile Broadband Strategy Right, Says

Posted Friday, August 15, 2008

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Mobile Operators Must Get Mobile Broadband Strategy Right, Says
AdaptiveMobile

Mobile network security specialist advises operators to control, not
ban, customer access abroad

14 August 2008 - AdaptiveMobile, (www.adaptivemobile.com), the leading
security provider of mobile subscriber protection for enterprises and
individuals, today recommends that mobile operators carefully consider
their international mobile broadband strategies.

This follows the European Union's threat to impose legal measures to
make operators cut the amount they charge their mobile broadband
customers for roaming on overseas networks, which has made some
operators consider banning all customers from downloading data through
their mobile broadband service while abroad to avoid getting involved in
a high profile legal wrangle.

However, AdaptiveMobile argues that operators taking a simplistic view
to blocking subscribers' mobile broadband usage while abroad run the
risk of losing the significant revenues promised by mobile broadband
subscribers willing to pay for a high-quality roaming service.

Gareth Maclachlan, COO of AdaptiveMobile, comments: "Whilst operators
understandably don't want to be perceived as trying to unfairly glean
excess revenues from unwitting subscribers while abroad, taking a 'one
size fits all' approach blocking their usage while abroad will result in
them losing very significant revenues, at a time when you would expect
them to be looking to maximise their 3G network investments. Even though
there is the suggestion that subscribers would be able to lift the
block, for a high proportion, this would be too disruptive and operators
would never maximise their average revenue per user (ARPU).

"Operators need to take better control of their network assets, so that
they can offer a bespoke service to each user on a case-by-case basis.
In this way, they can not only control subscribers' mobile broadband
usage in the UK and abroad, but also the type of content that is being
delivered over their network to the user, in terms of blocking spam and
viruses, and in the case of vulnerable users, inappropriate or
intimidating messages and imagery. They should also make steps to better
protect roaming users from unnecessary data usage, such as application
and operating system updates, which can be upto 500Mb in size and in
many cases are downloaded without user knowledge.

"In a competitive European market, where operators are increasingly
trying to differentiate their service and the many millions of corporate
subscribers are becoming increasingly international, operators surely
have no choice but to ensure they maximise all mobile broadband revenue
opportunities whilst offering subscribers the best possible service."

AdaptiveMobile's Policy Control Framework is used by tier one mobile
operators globally, sits on the network and protects subscribers against
illegal or inappropriate content, unsolicited or unauthorised
communications, preventing it reaching the network. It works across all
mobile services (WAP, SMS, MMS, email), all forms of access (Mobile,
WiFi, WiMax) and media including mobile internet, text, images, music,
voice and video. Mobile operators globally are using the Policy Control
Framework to respond to regulatory pressures, provide Parental Controls
and extend corporate security policies through to mobile devices.