FreeSurf: Application-Centric Wireless Access with SDN
The increasing need for ubiquitous Internet connectivity has led to the deployment of wireless access infrastructure, including public Wi-Fi networks used for mobile data offloading. Despite the density of public Wi-Fi hotspots especially in residential areas, these networks are severely underutilized, with an average of ten percent of active users and an average of one connection per user per month. Since the revenue from the public Wi-Fi infrastructure is much lower than the cellular counterpart, the operators seek opportunities to monetize their Wi-Fi networks. One such opportunity emerges from the intention of mobile application vendors to provide near-ubiquitous Internet access for their clients.