World Cup 2014 streaming to cause “bill shock”
February 27, 2013
Sandvine, a provider of intelligent broadband network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, has revealed that audio and video streaming account for 28 per cent of roaming data as observed on a tier-1 European mobile network. Given the growing popularity of streamed sporting events such as the 2012 Olympics, Sandvine predicts World Cup 2014 in Brazil will be the most streamed event in history and, without necessary roaming plans or notifications in place, it may also lead to the most widespread case of bill shock to date.
Bill shock is a negative reaction to unexpected charges on mobile phone bills and can be mitigated by Communications Service Provider (CSP) efforts to educate and inform customers. Typical roaming charges are accrued based on data usage and can quickly add up. For example, a 3minute YouTube video uses approximately 10MB of data which would cost a subscriber on average €7 to watch while roaming in Europe.
“Controlling the risk for bill shock by tightening the connection between CSPs and subscribers is a win-win for everyone,” said Dave Caputo, CEO, Sandvine. “Mobile operators gain the loyalty of their subscribers and new revenue opportunities through tiered services, and subscribers gain personalised tiers and roaming capabilities without the risk of unknown charges.”