Herzlia, Israel, September 21, 2011 – Flash Networks, a leading global provider of intelligent mobile Internet solutions, announced today test results from its deployment on a live 4G wireless network, in which Flash Networks’ Harmony Web & Media Optimization enabled subscribers to download and view video, web pages, and files faster with fewer service interruptions.
The test results proved that while 4G networks provide additional bandwidth, these networks can also benefit from network optimization to reduce traffic congestion. At this deployment, the time to load web pages on mobile devices was cut in half, and download speeds of files and videos to mobile devices was boosted by 40-60%. In addition, Harmony optimization reduced the data load on the network from video and web traffic by 40% and reduced stalls while viewing video by 80%.
Although 4G networks can provide a fatter pipe for smoother and faster downloading, actual speeds of 4G networks are typically 60% that of advertised speeds, as reported by The Denver Post last month, and in some cases even much less than this. The causes of this gap are network congestion, subscriber location, and other factors.
In many cases, the demand for content is growing faster than the additional capacity 4G networks can offer. The growing demand is fueled by more smartphone users and richer content, including the proliferation of high definition video. The same video content on YouTube today consumes three times the megabytes compared with just a year ago.
Mobile networks are close to reaching 80 percent capacity, based on research released by investment bank Credit Suisse. With capacity near its threshold, an increasing number of cells are congested during busy hours, resulting in mobile network performance being even farther from its advertised speed.
Flash Networks’ Web & Media Optimization addresses this problem, helping 4G networks, as well as traditional 3G networks, meet their potential by optimizing backhaul and transit capacity using dynamic, policy-based rules. In addition, Flash Networks’ Cell-Based Optimization applies the most relevant optimization technique to each cell based on local traffic patterns, ensuring the best possible user experience for all subscribers.
“Upgrading to 4G networks significantly improves bandwidth, but is not enough. 4G networks are still complex, and suffer from congestions and added latencies,” said Merav Bahat Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Flash Networks. “By applying our unique optimization solutions, our customers can offer users better download speeds than their competitors, on all networks, including 4G LTE.”