Impending 4G network buildouts will soon drive critical enterprise decisions

The following is a guest post by TC2 managing director Jack Deal, who is based in Baltimore.

A big part of effective corporate telecom management is timing. That's obviously true when you're dealing with a tactical issue such as when to release an RFP compared to pending contract expirations. But it's also true when you're dealing with a strategic issue such as exactly how to frame your company's technology migration paths. That encompasses both internal planning discussions and external communications with your current -- and prospective -- suppliers.

We've previously seen that companies who've gone to market for MPLS services at the right time with a demonstrated market understanding and proper framing of their demand set have hit a home run with their results. We're now seeing the same phenomenon in two key areas: wireless procurements that incorporate a much bigger percentage of smartphones than enterprises used to accept, and, increasingly, SIP trunking services that comprehensively replace TDM local and long distance infrastructure with dynamic VoIP pricing elements.

What's next? It's time to start planning for 4G wireless. Just about every global carrier is planning to move to 4G networks in some form over the next 12-24 months, and 4G markedly impacts on the use and sourcing of wireless services. Like 3G, 4G networks are optimized for packet-switched data. But they provide much faster download/upload speeds, provide more efficient use of spectrum, and are accessible by a wide variety of devices (not just PCs and smartphones).

Enterprises have to stay on top of this trend for the simple reason that mobility has already proven to be a potential cost-crusher when end-user behavior is not properly anticipated and managed. Already some analysts are picking up on the idea that consumer expectations are invading the business marketplace, with behaviors that suggest that portions of your employee base will stop thinking of landline voice and data devices as the default option and mobility as the fallback.

The carriers' 4G marketing when it arrives -- and wireless telecom is basically the one "growth area" of mass-media advertising in the U.S. right now -- will only reinforce this trend. Users will discover that the 70M-100M potential bandwidth of 4G networks provides reduced latency and better indoor coverage than past networks, leading to an "always connected" feeling. You'll want to harness that experience and incorporate it into your overall competitive telecom sourcing rather than let it get away from you.

And yet the conservative instinct of many, if not most, enterprises needs to be appropriately harnessed here as well. Right now there are two competing 4G technologies -- WiMax and LTE (for "Long Term Evolution"). WiMax is first to market, notably through the Sprint-backed Clearwire venture, which provides the CLEAR service in a number of U.S. markets. It's at least theoretically suited not just for mobility but as the long-dreamed-of potential for fixed wireless bypass around the ILEC last mile.

But LTE has projected speeds that exceed WiMax and has the backing of many more carriers, including the U.S. behemoths AT&T and Verizon. And the way that Verizon is positioning its new, more aggressive unlimited plan pricing as a way to upsell users to unlimited data suggests that it foresees a prompt rollout of 4G LTE as a "hook" to users, providing a go-everywhere broadband access method of choice.

So how do you decide which technology (or, potentially, a melding of both) to bank on? How do you deal with a notable concern about 4G, which is its relative lack of support for legacy voice and text-messaging (SMS), and the possible ways to resolve it? What will be the role of devices in these network services procurements compared to existing wireless deals? When do you go to market for 4G, and how much do you line up this procurement with your wireline enterprise network or existing wireless deals?

These are the kinds of questions I'll be addressing in a special session at the upcoming Mobile Explosion 2010 conference in San Diego on February 4-5. Organized by CCMI, Mobile Explosion is the popular annual wireless conference that distinguishes itself by being specifically for enterprise network professionals rather than for carriers, application developers and the like.

My session, called "Get Ready for Tomorrow's Wireless Networks Now!" will complement other sessions on mobile device management, mobile device security, real-world fixed-mobile convergence, wireless policies (especially for smartphones), and more. I encourage you to check out the full conference details.

The proper preparation and timing of procurements that incorporate 4G requirements and features is what the information in my session will be anticipating. It's a key subject, and I hope to see you in San Diego!