Tata Communications launches Data Roaming Boost to speed up Internet access for mobile users globally

Tata Communications today announced the launch of Data Roaming Boost, a global service that enables mobile network operators and service providers to deliver a significantly improved mobile internet experience for their customers, with the potential to halve the time it takes to open a webpage or application on their smart device whilst they are traveling overseas.

Tata Communications said it conducted tests to determine speeds with Data Roaming Boost with one operator for European outbound roaming to Singapore, based on access to Google.com.  Mean data rate (MDR) for home routing was 396 Kb/s, compared with an average MDR of 917 Kb/s using Data Roaming Boost – 230% improvement. When comparing round trip delay (RTD), the average for home routing was 370ms, compared with a RTD of 156ms using Data Roaming Boost – more than 50% improvement.

Dutch telecom firm Teleena, one of the world's top mobile service and Internet of Things (IoT) enablers, has become the first telcom service provider to roll out the industry-first service to enhance the delivery of its mobile and IoT applications globally.

With data roaming, a mobile user's internet connection is traditionally routed via long distances and through multiple transit parties back to the home operator – resulting in speed and connectivity challenges. This in turn leads to a poor user experience and often results in service abandonment.

With Data Roaming Boost, mobile network operators are able to avoid this multi-party hand-off and connect their customers to the Internet using the closest Tata Communications' globally deployed points-of-presence. This ensures a high-quality browsing experience for roamers, while giving service providers full control of their subscriber traffic.

Initial tests by Tata Communications returned results showing that Data Roaming Boost provides a 130 per cent improvement in connectivity speeds compared with the traditional approach of routing traffic back to the mobile operator's home network.

Data Roaming Boost also delivers significant efficiencies for international IoT applications when a device is in constant roaming mode. For example, the infotainment device of a car could be built in one country and used in another, which can be costly for the service provider and lead to a slow user experience. Data Roaming Boost reduces connectivity costs for IoT service providers and makes IoT applications more responsive for users.
 
''As LTE networks bring high-bandwidth applications such as content streaming and video calling to mobile users' handsets, mobile service providers are under pressure to offer their customers a consistent mobile experience whether at home or abroad,'' said Conor Carroll, senior vice president, Global Carrier Solutions – Europe, Asia and Americas, Tata Communications.

''Data Roaming Boost represents a breakthrough in data roaming performance and enables service providers to offer highly responsive, glitch-free, mobile data connectivity to their customers, whether they are international travellers or IoT businesses,'' Carroll added.

''Data Roaming Boost is a game-changer for the delivery of mobile services and IoT applications,'' said Timo Smit, executive director at Teleena. ''By integrating our platform with Tata Communications' Data Roaming Boost, we are able to offer fully managed data roaming services and IoT solutions for our customers on a global scale, delivering a ubiquitous, seamless user experience regardless of location.''

Ovum's Monetizing next-generation roaming opportunities by Ovum found that 63 per cent of home network operators believe that poor roaming quality of experience can lead to customer churn. Built on Tata Communications'global network, which is ranked among the top five by routes in five continents  and connects 4 out of 5 mobile subscribers globally, Data Roaming Boost creates a virtualised extension of the home operator's network, reducing delays associated with home routing and enhancing customer retention.