Network operators have a unique and ready access to a range of user specific information, ranging from billing records through to network data utilization, including user-cached data.  This information can be leveraged to provide multiple new revenue streams such as advertising, social networking and pre-positioned content, including television and video.

A shift of this nature also leads to the creation of new services born out of this new depth of end-user behavioral knowledge.  Privacy issues are managed through “opt in” provisions, e.g., ‘Foursquare’ type experiences or subsidized services in return for user data profiling access.

Recent business case analysis shows that caching at the network edge delivers significant capital and operational savings, e.g., $400 million savings over a 10year period for a model LTE network in Chicago.

Caching in the core does deliver some degree of savings, but insignificantly so compared to caching at the edge.

Combining content caching at the edge with the ability to ‘switch and route’ content, significantly changes the dynamic and opens the doors to entirely new business models, overlaid on transmission networks.  For instance, it creates a model whereby the content provider will pay to gain access to the wireless network but, by delivering the content through its own delivery network, it will absorb much of the content delivery costs which today are borne, in full, by the wireless operator.

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