The News: Amdocs Charging is purpose developed to meet the monetization demands of rapidly expanding 5G networks including roaming applications. 5G networks are expected to expand globally throughout 2023 putting the spotlight on whether 5G networks can fulfill the ecosystem-wide expectations attached to 5G speeds and capabilities. This includes ensuring subscribers can roam efficiently and cost effectively when away from their home network. Read the Amdocs blog here.
Amdocs Delivers Local Breakout to Ease Monetization of 5G Roaming Apps
Analyst Take: Global mobility is picking up in the post-pandemic era as travel restrictions are lifted and rolled back. Even China is now lifting its strict pandemic-related travel controls, especially including the country’s own citizens. For mobile network operators (MNOs), this provides more opportunity to demonstrate the readiness of 5G networks to deliver a continuous, unified experience to users regardless of their geographic location.
To meet evolving 5G roaming demands, Amdocs offers its cloud-based, real-time convergent Amdocs Charging solution to deliver 5G Local Breakout (LBO). 5G LBO fulfills roaming demands by assuring the data session of a roaming subscriber is affixed to the local network they are visiting and not their home network. LBO also enables mobile subscribers to sign up to an alternative roaming provider. By targeting inbound roamers that choose to turn off mobile data instead of paying standard roaming charging rates, the solution enables the MNO to generate revenue from a prior non-monetized source.
Previous 4G techniques entailed the anchoring of data connections to the subscriber’s home network. As an example, Amdocs cited when an AT&T USA subscriber roaming in the UK accesses a local channel, such as weather, the data connection would be established from the UK to the AT&T service in the USA and then back again to the UK-based weather service. The 4G roaming process puts a hefty strain on the network resources required to provide bandwidth for the roaming users, almost invariably compromising the overall service experience.
With LNO capabilities, I also see MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) striking agreements with MNOs to attain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates. From my view, this broadens the addressable market for the Amdocs Charging solution by enabling 5G MNOs to play the role of a home network provider for 5G MVNO partners that allow roaming for their subscribers. The MNO needs to account for two-way wholesale charging consisting of one with the visited network provider, and one with the MVNO using their network services, which requires using Amdocs Charging LNO features.
Key Takeaways: Amdocs Delivers LNO to Ease 5G Roaming Monetization
I view Amdocs Charging as providing both the retail and wholesale charging systems key to fulfilling the burgeoning monetization goals of the 5G ecosystem, especially MNOs. From my perspective, LNO support demonstrates the pivotal role Amdocs Charging can play in delivering the flexible configuration, launch, management, and monitoring capabilities as well as the charging orchestration flow composition and partner integration key to advancing MNO 5G monetization objectives.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum Research as a whole.
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Image Credit: Fierce Wireless
Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
