Syniverse Lights Up 3G Sunsets
PARTNER FEATURE:
The mobile industry is headed toward an inflection point as operators rapidly deploy 5G services while also decommissioning their 3G, and in some cases 2G, networks. But there remains a need to bridge between generations to support roaming interoperability.
Without a stopgap measure to ensure smooth communications between the various networks on a global scale, the disruption to roaming could reach a critical stage. Voice over LTE (VoLTE) will enable operators to preserve post-sunset roaming interoperability.
Data from GSMA Intelligence states the highest proportion of 3G sunsets between 2015 and 2025 will occur in Europe. While research from GSA shows the most popular year for operators to switch to 4G and 5G will be 2025.
Europe has, or will have, the largest number of 2G and 3G shutdowns with 93 (or 63 percent of the total); followed by Asia (21 percent); while North America, the Middle East, Oceania, and Africa each account for 5 percent, according to GSA’s research.
GSMA Intelligence noted with the absence of circuit-switched voice to fall back on, VoLTE services will be critical for voice roaming and essential to the commercialization of 5G.
As operators transition to 5G and shutter their 3G networks, they create a problem for roaming subscribers from other networks around the world that don’t support VoLTE. This inability to service inbound roamers will result in a loss of roaming revenues and global partnerships and create a negative roaming experience for subscribers.
The need for a stopgap solution is essential as the world’s mobile operators transition away from their legacy networks at varying future dates.
3G shutdown
Traditionally, for a mobile device to successfully connect to a visited 4G network it must utilize a circuit switched network, such as 3G, to establish both voice and data connectivity. Circuit Switch Fallback (CSFB) allows voice and SMS services to be delivered to 4G/LTE devices using a circuit-switched network such as 3G.
For operators that have retired their 3G networks and support VoLTE exclusively, there is no available CSFB option. As a result, a voice call can’t be established or progressed to the next step of setting up a data connection. This results in mobile devices traveling from home networks that don’t support VoLTE or VoLTE roaming being unable to access a network that no longer supports 3G.
Without the ability to support mobile devices roaming from non-VoLTE supported networks, or VoLTE supported networks that still rely on 3G CSFB roaming agreements for voice, 4G and 5G-only operators stand to lose a significant amount of their roaming partnership revenue. It could also result in less roaming market competition which in turn could lead to higher rates for consumers.
In a recent report, GSMA Intelligence highlighted VoLTE enabled operators to migrate their circuit-switched infrastructure to a fully IP-centric network. As of October 2022, there were 239 VoLTE networks in 107 markets globally, according to the research firm.
With many operators yet to implement VoLTE or VoLTE roaming, there’s an issue for roamers from these legacy networks traveling into regions where 3G has been retired. The ability for these devices to fall back to these legacy networks to establish voice and then data connections is unavailable.
Syniverse is addressing the divide between networks through several platforms. Its Evolved MobilityTM, a 3G-to-VoLTE roaming portfolio, ensures roaming subscribers using VoLTE-enabled devices will have seamless connectivity when roaming onto a visited operator’s network, even when the visited operator has decommissioned its 3G network.
The result includes an improved overall roaming experience for the user, which lowers subscriber churn while minimizing costs associated with keeping existing customers, as well as the potential for attracting new high ARPU customers.
Syniverse’s 3G-to-VoLTE solution is a complete suite of products and services designed to give operators who are retiring their 3G networks all the necessary tools to maintain revenue from visiting subscribers with home operators that have not yet implemented support for VoLTE roaming.
By implementing Syniverse’s Evolved Mobility for Inbound, operators can maintain and grow inbound roaming revenues that would be lost without support for CSFB. It also increases their ability to negotiate with roaming partners, potentially decreasing outbound roaming rates.
Additional benefits include support for roaming across more than 500 global mobile operators that don’t have VoLTE in their home markets. It also onboards operators that currently have VoLTE today, but don’t have a VoLTE roaming agreement in place by enabling them to strike a bi-lateral VoLTE roaming agreement when both parties are ready.
The 2G conundrum
GSA data from October 2022 showed that 15 countries and territories have already shut down 2G, and a further 31 plan to do so, which is a clear indication of the accelerating pace of global shutdowns.
While some operators have taken steps to retire their 2G networks, others have not set a date for switching them off. Those roaming partners continue to rely on 2G for circuit switch fallback for voice services.
Legacy 2G networks weren’t designed to handle the needs of today’s mobile users, which results in a substandard roaming experience for users that are steered onto a 2G network. That could have an impact on customers churning to a competitor’s network, leading to a loss of revenue and higher IoT rates for outbound roaming that could take years to regain.
Marketing research company Kaleido Intelligence’s data noted revenue from consumer and IoT inbound roaming connections will reach $38 billion in 2023 with a forecast to exceed $60 billion annually by 2027.
With Syniverse’s Evolved Mobility for Inbound, visited operators without 3G can seamlessly offload their 3G inbound roaming traffic onto a hosted platform without assuming additional spectrum on a limited 2G network that regulates inbound roamers to a poor user experience.
Outbound roaming
Mobile operators discontinuing support for 3G also need to consider the effects on outbound roaming for their own subscribers when they decommission networks.
Currently, there are many operators that don’t support VoLTE or VoLTE roaming, which limits the home operator that has decommissioned its legacy equipment to effectively outbound roaming. Operators have been reluctant to decommission those networks even though they know doing so would lower operating costs.
Syniverse tackles this issue with its Evolved Mobility for Outbound. Like Evolved Mobility for Inbound, Evolved Mobility for Outbound helps address the gap operators face when shutting down their legacy network equipment.
By supporting outbound roaming home subscribers on a network that supports VoLTE, voice connectivity can roam seamlessly into most of the visited operators that currently only support 3G but have yet to implement VoLTE roaming.
With the retirement of 3G networks, operators will look to IMS and VoLTE. A certain level of interoperable complexity exists between roaming partners when implementing those technologies.
Syniverse’s Global Services team can help accelerate the implementation of 3G-to-VoLTE services by performing resource International Roaming Expert Group and Transferred Account Data Interchange Group testing with global roaming partners to guarantee performance and functionality.