ternet, and how mobile Internet growth projected to overtake PC or laptop-based Internet access within the next few years. We went through basic traffic profiling concepts and related dimensioning tools that would be needed by the operator to provision and plan for a deployment and how the subscriber's access and applications can impact the traffic profiles. Next, we spent some time discussing the forecasts shared by major telecom players and analysts to understand what sort of future trends could be interesting for the operators. We examined one such technology, which is the Internet of Things. Also, we looked at some pointers on what aspects of LTE networks may need to be tuned to cater to the IoT as we understand it. What you should be able to see through this chapter is that both LTE networks and the trends are evolving, and the projected trends should be closely followed so operators and vendors can take advantage of the potential economic value associated with these technologies. CHAPTER 4 Network Roadmaps "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat. "I don't much care where-" said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat. "-so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation. "Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough." Alice in Wonderland -Lewis Carroll Let's face it-the network's business is a very tough business. There are too many stakeholders-operators, vendors, standardization, end users, technology, equipment, government, partners for production, delivery, and so on. Over and above this, we have already discussed the challenges facing the business climate-in terms of investment, projections, customer demand, usage profiles, traffic patterns and their evolution, and so forth. In such a complex business environment, how do operators ensure that their plans remain valid, relevant, and that they can stay competitive? We strongly believe that road mapping as