4 Reasons App Requests Fail

Growth in global connectivity has come to a standstill, and this has consequences for those who are left unconnected. Likewise, for developers, apps and devices, business growth is equally limited. The Web Foundation reported last year that internet penetration has slowed to such a point that it’s looking unlikely that we can get the rest of the world connected. Not only is connectivity growth stalled, but the challenge for network operators is compounded by the fact that data traffic is expected to increase by 600% in the next 5 years. The digital paradigm shift is happening, but users need to have functioning services if it’s going to work for everyone.

Apps depend on network quality to function. In order for a request to be transmitted, there needs to be sufficient bandwidth on any given network to let it travel. And bandwidth, just like any resource, is limited. There are areas where it is rare, areas where it needs to be shared, and ares where bandwidth is nonexistent.

Reasons for failed transmission come down to 4 things.

1. Limited Bandwidth due to low reception

This is the number one reason that networks are interrupted. Radio waves work just like light waves in that they can be blocked by obstacles.

Artificial obstacles may include:
- Concrete
- Steel
- Aluminum

Natural obstacles may include:
- Mountains
- Valleys
- Forests

2. Weak Networks

Building network infrastructure is expensive, and operators aren’t guaranteed to recoup their investment when there are so few people living in remote areas to pay subscriptions. Operators deciding where to invest can more confidently bet on making money in cities full of people. Consequently, there is very little investment beyond the 2G network in rural villages in emerging countries. Naturally, MNOs will only invest if there is a clear ROI, and ROI will only happen if the ratio of population density to infrastructure cost is sufficiently positive.

3. Saturated Networks

In cities, networks can be overwhelmed by the amount of data traffic. Just as highways get packed with too many cars, a network can experience traffic jams of data, resulting in failed transmissions. Football stadiums, concerts, and conferences or events are all examples of places where apps fail.

4. Bandwidth Purposely Limited

Sometimes operators themselves will throttle service so as to avoid bottlenecks, or that’s at least what they say is the reason. But a recent global study using 126,000 smartphones with the same app researched internet speeds, and determined that throttling is happening everywhere, all the time. This means some apps get preferential treatment, and certain networks work better in certain places, and it’s not the developer’s fault.

What Can Be Done?

Apps, just like internet, have limits. And unfortunately, apps only function where there is an internet network (a data network). For a lot of people without the means for a computer, in emerging countries, apps are their internet, but if they live in areas without data networks, then having working apps at all times is unrealistic. It’s also clear that this isn’t just an emerging countries problem. Apps have connectivity issues everywhere.

To bring connectivity to all people, and improve connectivity everywhere, it’s going to take a mix of actors. There’s a lot of hope for 5G, but it’s not a quick fix to the whole global challenge.

Developers Can Master Data

The smaller the data requirements, the better the app requests will travel and transmit, and this will translate into a more successful app. So there is at least a bit of control developers have over this issue.

• Companies like Google have created avenues to develop in new ways, specifically to target emerging markets. Build for Android Go is an example.
• Many developers are also developing their apps to work in Offline First mode, which has even been called a movement. This demonstrates just how serious the issue is! Google even has a developer section dedicated to Offline First, which says, “write your app as if it has no internet connection. Once your app works offline, add whatever network functionality you need for your app to do more when it’s online.”

For app development, if you’re not developing with a less is more mindset, your apps are contributing to the traffic jams.

• Efficient use of data is key. There are many tips and strategies for cleaning your data to make it as efficient as possible. The Be-Bound SDK makes it easy for you, by providing Augmented Connectivity through a simple integration that will cut data size by up to 98%.

Businesses Can Pave Their Way

For businesses that have no choice but to get connectivity working abroad or in rural areas, they have to invest in solutions independently.

• Some connect to a Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), which connects to a satellite and is quite costly (can be up to $7/MB for data). This is something that can be moved around as they travel on the field, but it can quickly get expensive, and cumbersome.
• Others might set up an actual satellite station on their own (also expensive). This is effective if they are setting up an office and know they will be in a certain location for an extended period of time. The advantage of this is that it would also potentially provide connectivity for anyone in the area (a limited geographic reach of maybe 100 sq meters, but still more connectivity counts).
• For businesses that are truly on the go, and want to work in emerging countries, with lots of movement (logistics, tracking, transparency etc.), Be-Bound Augmented Connectivity is the best option. With the integration of Be-Bound SDK into an app or device, the business service will immediately get the widest geographic reach possible, and work seamlessly, transporting data wherever there is a 2G network. With Be-Bound optimization, apps not only work better on every data network, they also function without interruption where there’s no internet present.

Poor connectivity is not inevitable, many solutions exists! Check out Be-Bound website for further information