Think Before You Develop
Right now, developers don't think about this at all, says Laura Merling, senior VP of AlcaLu's developer programs. They hear LTE and think, "yay, more bandwidth," but not about what it means for creating apps that are network-aware.
"They just think the network is there and we'll use it," Merling says, "not, how do we build the best app on the network?"
Instead of only addressing the issue after they crash a network, Merling says they should be seeking answers to questions like: Do I keep a connection for a long period of time, or do I open and close it? How often does my app ping the network? What are the crash points?
AlcaLu's developer liaison makes a good point. All the onus for network performance falls on the network operators, but a shoddy experience also reflects poorly on the app. Developers should, at least, be aware of the network constraints and build apps that are as friendly as possible -- even on zippier LTE networks. (See MWC 2011: Developers: Network Allies and Mu's Quadrant of Miscreant Apps.)
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile
I'm a bit surprised this is something that is just now coming to the fore - companies like Mu, Spirent, Ixia and others have been talking about it for some time. I'm guessing it reflects the degree to which the telecom industry has become app-driven and the pace at which new things now come online.