Cellular offload to Wi-Fi growing, and expected, says a new report

For wireless providers, data offloading to a Wi-Fi network will be one of the more cost-effective solutions to explore in the near-term, according to Devicescape — a company that happens to offer technology for exactly this practice.

Still, in a recent survey of 1,040 of its users, a cross-section that included professionals and students, it said, its good feelings about Wi-Fi had plenty of company. It found nearly 82% of respondents to believe that Wi-Fi plays an important role in using a smartphone or tablet, and 86% to agree that rich media such as video runs faster over Wi-Fi than a cellular network.

With carriers facing spectrum limits, and streaming video congesting traffic, Wi-Fi is turning into a win-win, with carriers using it for relief and consumers now expecting it — 81% of respondents told Devicescape they expect their carrier to deliver Wi-Fi as part of a bundled solution.

Particularly in these days of wireless network data caps — which 74% of respondents said they're aware of and would "declare their dissatisfaction if faced with" — 88% also said they perceive Wi-Fi to be a less-expensive alternative to 3G.

Juniper Research, which expects mobile operators' delivery costs to rise to $370 billion by 2016, has recommended data-offload solutions as a way to reduce costs, and Deutsche Telekom has shared its success in managing to transferring 100% of its iPhone owners' data traffic from its 3G network to a Wi-Fi hotspot when they're at home (CP: Wi-Fi offloading, and cost savings, again advised for 4G-focused operators).

Earlier this month, the newly launched Republic Wireless turned the carrier model on its head, introducing a $19 a month unlimited data, text and voice plan that uses Wi-Fi whenever possible, and cellular only when needed (CP: Republic Wireless launches unlimited 'hybrid' network for $19 a month).

"Cellular these days is a precious resource, and it doesn't come cheaply," Republic said in its press materials.

And how. In August, research firm Gartner forecast that mobile data services revenue would total $314.7 billion by the year's end, growing nearly 23% over 2010's total.

Devicescape additionally found 88.3% of respondents to feel swayed, in their purchasing decisions, by carriers' unlimited data plans. While AT&T, it points out, already markets to its users the idea that Wi-Fi can save them money and offer a "fast, seamless connection," some carriers apparently still need a talking to.

"Data offload to Wi-Fi," states the Devicescape report, is the best way to reduce the amount of cellular data that subscribers consume each month, making the unlimited plan question a non-issue."

In a sales pitch on its Web site, Devicescape's Tim Danison notes, "Mobile operators today who use the Devicescape solution experience a direct off-load rate of between 35% and 50% for each user, for each device, each and every month, from their network to the Wi-Fi network."

Which its target audience may find as compelling as its report.