Mobile operators are struggling to keep up with demand for data services on their networks. The solution, according to networking giant Cisco, may lie in rolling out ubiquitous Wi-Fi networks that seamlessly “offload” mobile users to them, relieving network congestion while keeping users connected.

This is according to a report on the growth of mobile cloud services by Cisco’s Internet business solutions group.

Stuart Taylor, director for Cisco’s global service provider practice in the solutions group, says business users and consumers are increasingly seeing the value of mobility and how mobile tools like cameras, microphones and speakers can enable useful cloud-based services.

The mobile data traffic explosion is being driven by faster mobile speeds, an increasing number of mobile connections, the enhanced computing power of mobile devices and the exponential growth of rich media.

According to a Cisco survey of SA data usage concluded in July, SA is experiencing a 145% annual growth rate in mobile data. This is expected to grow 88 times in volume by 2015. By 2015, Cisco anticipates 66% of mobile traffic in SA will be video.

The company’s findings suggest there is far greater capital efficiency to be had by operators rolling out Wi-Fi rather than trying to keep up with mobile network infrastructure alone.

Though business users are expected to be early adopters of mobile cloud services, Taylor says service providers must recognise the increased overlaps between business and personal users. He says the appeal of mobile cloud computing is that it is seen as an insurance policy for “the unforeseen things that happen to devices” and that cloud integration can allow for the adding of services without having to necessarily update ones devices.

Cisco also expects a huge increase in demand for video conferencing from mobile devices in both the enterprise and consumer space.

Taylor says the company’s report found that Wi-Fi is becoming “the network access method of choice” for many smartphone users. The average smartphone user in the US is connected via Wi-Fi 35% of the time and this number is expected to increase as Wi-Fi becomes more ubiquitous.

Taylor says in Europe and the US, broadband operators are building extensive public Wi-Fi networks and offering them free to their digital subscriber line (DSL) customers as a “churn reduction strategy”. He says many mobile service providers are beginning to regard this as a key part of their businesses. — Craig Wilson, TechCentral