Battle of free WiFi operators and Internet giant who will have the last laugh
Fire up free Wi-Fi in the past two years. Especially in 2014, the BAT, 360 and other Internet giants have joined this Council. Recently, the traditional company ping an of China announced the launch of a zero threshold for free Wi-Fi. free Wi-Fi as an important portal for mobile Internet, which can occupy APP users, and establish corporate brand image, be a tempting prize. Before the judge the trend of free Wi-Fi battle, you have to understand two issues:
First, the commercialization of Wi-Fi are at what stage? Can be seen from the current development direction analysis and Wi-Fi are divided into four stages of commercialization: traditional networks, simple entry, O2O scene controversy, dispute over user data controversy. Traditional networking phase is over, led by the telecom operator, has formed a certain scale. Nearly two years in the simple entrance battle stages, through the development of Wi-Fi users or by third-party advertising profits. O2O scene can be developed in the next battle, O2O connection Wi-Fi hotspot has become an important point of Internet companies is the outlet. For user data dispute is more distant to them.
Second, what are the players participate in the Wi-Fi battle, in what position? Simple distinction between Internet providers and network operators. Telecom was the main network provider, some third-party companies such as Dee is also committed to doing so. In the role of network operators, and also includes telecoms operators and Internet businesses, traditional giants such as. Wi-Fi battle, traditional business fewer participants, but demand is relatively simple, current user, service user just development. Between the Telecom and Internet giant, fierce competition, there is close cooperation.
In the understanding of these two issues, we analyzed between telecoms operators and Internet giant’s free Wi-Fi battle.
, Telecom operator skills and deep can occupy top retreat to become business partners
Telecom operators with many years of operation, compared with the Internet giant, has certain advantages:
1, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom users who has a huge advantage. The three operators with mobile users of nearly 1.3 billion, almost 1 phone numbers per capita, especially second-tier cities, used is the Basic Telecom network. User trust in the quality of telecom carriers is still relatively high, based on network user base, and telecom operators to launch Wi-Fi network as trusted and welcome.
2, after more than 10 years of networking, Wi-Fi hotspots covering three major telecom operators have scale, deploying hot spots more than 6 million, is a palpable in many cities, regional differences are unlikely. It can be said that national fixed network currently under construction is essentially Telecom, if there is no fixed basis, most Wi-Fi will be source, castles in the air.
But telecom provider Wi-Fi has been tepid, poor user experience, revenue flat, mainly because of the relatively old thinking, mechanism of constraint and gene deletions and so on the Internet.
Face the impact of Internet enterprises, telecom operators have to make corresponding changes. One important strategy is to free Wi-Fi in this area explores a new way of playing. A case study of Bao telecommunications traffic in June 2014, launched “free Wi-Fi” feature, now covers three major operators of Wi-Fi hot spots, compared with the third-party hot spot, which cover a wide range, high quality, safe and reliable, on the page with Wi-Fi require cumbersome traditional operator certification compared to a more convenient experience, can be used directly to verify that the login-free. But the biggest innovation is to create a flow trading platform, connecting businesses and users demand combined with interactive, formed a good business model. For businesses, flow Bao setup tasks, games and activities, during the process of users to achieve tasks, play games and earn the required flow of currency, enterprises also reached their goal, and even gets the user at a lower cost. For users, the way through the game, get free flow of currency, the network traffic can be exchanged for three networks or Wi-Fi time apply a wide range of.
Of course, telecoms operators have free Wi-Fi access in the course of business, there are still many difficulties. Success depends on them, “telecommunications”. If you take into account the worst case, that is the telecom operator to launch user-facing operations, providing network infrastructure for the Internet, and even then, as pipelines, telecom operators are also beneficiaries.
Second, the Internet giant, menacing, but the profit model is in trouble can be sustained, large-scale operations remains to be seen
Several major Internet giants have seen the entry value of Wi-Fi, both as a simple battle of the portal development users, or as O2O entrance into traditional industries, their layout.
1, Tencent announced in September last year combined with the light and sound commercial Wi-Fi network, such as the ten service providers set up the Wi-Fi Alliance, claims to have implemented the 10000+ supermarkets, 15000+ Cafe, restaurant of the 35000+ coverage will also be revealed on commercial Wi-Fi, is committed to open platforms. In the field of intelligent hardware “universal Wi-Fi” app phones based on Wi-Fi networks are more lethal.
2, Ali communications launches nationwide free Wi-Fi service. On January 23, the MVNO Ali communications “washes the Wi-Fi” application is online. Taobao users account to log on to the mobile software, free hotspot 6 million nationwide, including three carriers. 1 hours a day, free Internet access, available long enough when “gold currency”, and there are several ways to “earn” Internet traffic and transactions.
3, 360, free Wi-Fi is not small. September 2014, Zhou hongyi t 360 free Wi-Fi project was listed as the highest level: the 2014 goal is to be the industry’s second, before 2015 will become the first three months. 360 and 360 mobile phone phone assistant guardian of which are adjusted to the “free Wi-Fi”.
Baidu, millet is related to layout, not described in detail. We can see that Internet company’s hotspot contains a certain amount of cover provided by telecom carriers and third-party networks. Although they look very busy, but there are some drawbacks.
Wi-Fi itself is a technical defect. Ning Yu says the Director of the Department of China Mobile business supporting system, Wi-Fi technology that exists in defect gradually exposed, non-carrier-grade quality of equipment and the lack of major operational capabilities, and more difficult to solve problems. This Wi-Fi service will be buried under a certain degree of risk.
Second, Wi-Fi a longer construction period. Wi-Fi related e-road towards media, companies deploying free Wi-Fi on buses in Beijing, early use of Huawei’s network facilities, because the standards are not unified, unable to continue, and now use Wi-Fi facilities company, due to a system upgrade, and delayed for several years. Internet business collaboration with third-party providers of Wi-Fi, good in covering progress and scope guarantees.
Third, Internet Wi-Fi on the profit-making model is not yet mature. Force play screen, advertising revenue and other little hard cover related operational costs. Some Wi-Fi operators tell communications Hayat, introduced free Wi-Fi in the APP is just beginning, only information small amounts of content delivery, application is still in the planning stage, small number of users, is too early to talk about making money. And the BAT objective is not to make money, on exploring O2O scene modes, is still in the early stages of training users. But if we blindly throw money into it, but I cannot achieve large-scale operations, BAT hard, rising to group strategy, just a few small chipping away at most.
Three major flaw could allow Internet giant runaway, free Wi-Fi becoming a gimmick. Communication Hayat was informed that due to disagreements, slow progress, a free Wi-Fi Internet giant’s project had been halted.
For traditional businesses into, the threat posed is not very big. Wanda layout earlier in the free Wi-Fi, but still at the stage of localization services, in the scenes dispute has some room for imagination, but it is not the focus of their development. Ping an of China is not small, but current spending is only used to develop customer and provide more value-added services to customers. Long-term goal is for user data collection and analysis, to better develop Internet banking, whether large data in the battle for a place in the future, remains to be seen.