IEEE Communications Magazine (IEEE COMMAG) 
Volume 51, Issue 3, p.96 - 102 (2013)


Toward Network Controlled IP Traffic Offloading

Jouni Korhonen - Renesas Mobile / Nokia Siemens Networks
Teemu Savolainen - Nokia
Aaron Yi Ding - University of Helsinki
Markku Kojo - University of Helsinki

Abstract:
Operator controlled IP traffic offloading in cellular networks 
has been a lively topic in both product and standard development 
during recent years. Specifically, 3GPP has developed multiple 
IP traffic offloading solutions for their system architecture, 
typically requiring 3GPP-specific modifications for user equipment. 
We argue that an adequate lightweight access technology agnostic 
IP traffic offloading system is achievable with a generic internet 
layer solution. Such a solution can still utilize 3GPP system 
properties for operators to push offloading policies securely into 
mobile devices. We discuss existing 3GPP-specified offloading 
solutions and present three variations of our internet layer 
traffic offloading implementations, and compare them against 
3GPP-specified solutions. Our hands-on experience in operator 
networks shows that such a direction is feasible and promising.


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