When Stuart Roebuck (ProInnovate) was checking out his web app on his iPad through 3G, he noticed something very strange … it didn’t display properly when previously, it had been fine. He switched between 3G and wifi, and for some reason, he noticed that his web app displayed differently depending on the connection.
On downloading an iPad browser that showed the source code for the site, he noticed that his 3G provider – O2 – modifies the data being sent over their network for data compression reasons. This, of course, is fine if it works, but if it doesn’t, then it’s a little difficult to understand for the average user why the site is being displayed correctly some of the time, but not others.
Since then, Stuart has checked that the same happens for the iPhone. And considering there is a growing number of smart phone users, this is a bit of a concern for him and many others …
Full details are available from Stuart’s blogposts on the subject. Track him down if you’re concerned too, since this data compression issue could affect anyone building web / mobile apps…
http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/correspondence-with-o2-about-their-data.html
http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/compiled-list-of-web-references-to.html
http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/should-mobile-operators-be-free-to.html
http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/mobile-proxy-cache-content-modification.html
It might be a good idea to email ronan.dunne@o2.com for more information about this.
Mobile operators compressing network data is nothing new. It started on WAP, where they would recompress everything as much they could. Bandwidth was so slow that it made sense.
The problem now is that systems have evolved, and most applications / website owners want to assume that network operators will just transfer raw data. These operators have been hit with a sudden increase in data being pushed back and forwards with new devices such as iPhones and iPads. The increase in traffic is putting pressure on their infrastructure.
Solutions:
– not do anything at all and all users have a reduced bandwidth
– conserve bandwidth and lower the impact of the increase in data usage
From a network operator point of view, the second option certainly sounds better as it is a short term solution until total bandwidth is increased.
Compression is one mechanism to reduce bandwidth usage.
But the right way to do this, when dealing with HTTP, is to use a proxy.
Then, since they are (still pointlessly) metering the traffic customer who end up using the proxy will be charged less. Those who don’t will pay more, which will go to improving the infrastructure^W^W^Wpaying dividends to shareholders.
Anand
Kate, thanks very much for covering this.
Aaron – you’re the second person to suggest that and I started communicating with his department yesterday. I have posted today’s response here: http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/letter-to-ronan-dunne-ceo-of-o2.html
Thomas – can I suggest another solution. That the mobile operators give us the data we pay for. If we need more they will make more money to pay to expand their networks. If we would like them to compress our images and modify our data then we can opt in or out of that service and save ourselves some money by doing so. Critically, if our data goes through their network we should know what they do to it. Unless they say otherwise, the file we send should be the file that is received.
An update from Stuart on the situation with O2: http://stuartroebuck.blogspot.com/
I have a conference call with Tim Fielden & his team on Friday to discuss the removal of comments (and license terms) as well as the inlining of Javascript on pages. Does anyone have anything related to those areas they want me to talk to them about?
Aaron, great to here that you are following up on them too!
I spoke to Tim Fielden last week and they said that their legal advice was that the removal of comments did not cause a developer of a site to break the law. Although I indicated that I felt it was O2 who were breaking the law they always returned to their wording which was focused around web site developers. With respect to inlining they said that there was a way that developers could bypass this and that they would send me the details, but this hasn’t happened yet despite them suggesting that they were surprised that I didn’t know about it. They acknowledged that they needed to do a better job at transparency in what they did and seemed to me to be saying that the mobile platform was changing and that they would need to change with it. With respect to compression they were quite adamant that their compression (on the whole) brought benefits to customers impression of speed. I still have my doubts on this front.
Hi Aaron,
I’ve forwarded your comment onto Stuart – hopefully he’ll have some comments to get back to you with!
Kate
As a general comment I will update my blog over the coming week with updated information and hopefully with the developer work around from O2. I also have a though about a more sophisticated mobile data modification check which I hope to implement in a spare moment!
[…] been doing a lot of coding at the moment, but slightly frustrated with the lift web framework. My battle with O2 has been quiet, but its still bubbling in the background. We’ve just launched into beta and have over 30 […]
[…] for mobile venture capital company m8, new incubator Difference Engine comes up to Edinburgh, Stuart Roebuck picks a fight with o2, we become the main press/bloggers for the REE2010 event that Edinburgh University is […]
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your weblog
and in accession capital to assert that I get in
fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I’ll be
subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently
fast.
unlock iphone t-mobile Could Be Fun For Everyone
My brother recommended I would possibly like this web site.
He used to be entirely right. This put up truly made my day.
You can not consider simply how a lot time I had spent for this info!
Thank you!
It is the energy of the sun and shows enthusiasm for life.
The Industrial Revolution was another of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of civilization. The other consequence of an ovarian cyst
rupturing is the abdomen becoming distended or sensitive.