KDDI Corp. (KDDIY) said it plans to use Ruckus Wireless’s equipment to offload cellular traffic to Wi-Fi network in a deal that starts with 10,000 wireless hotspots with plans to grow the network to 100,000 access points by March. Ruckus said KDDI’s offloading initiative is the largest to date.
People who use KDDI’s packet flat-rate plans can use its au Wi-Fi SPOT service free of charge on Android smartphones. Subscribers do not need to manually configure the devices; instead authentication is embedded in the the devices and takes place behind the scenes. The national initiative is part of KDDI’s 3M strategy (multi-device, multi-use, multi-network) to deliver content and services over the best network anytime, anywhere and on the user’s preferred device. KDDI’s network includes CMDA and WiMAX technologies, with more than 32 million subscribers.
Wi-Fi technology is becoming popular with some operators as a way to offload capacity in urban areas. AT&T Mobility (T) is using Wi-Fi to complement service in New York and San Francisco, among other cities, as a way to handle increased data traffic.
“Wi-Fi is clearly at the top of the list for service providers around the world looking for new ways to increase cellular capacity,” said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. “KDDI has taken a truly innovative approach to building a heterogeneous network that combines macro cellular technology, femtocells, WiMAX and Wi-Fi to address the exponential growth of wireless data traffic.”
KDDI’s Wi-Fi overlay uses its WiMAX network to backhaul data traffic from each Wi-Fi hotspot to KDDI’s mobile network core. Ruckus’ ZoneFlex Wi-Fi access point connects wirelessly to KDDI’s WiMAX infrastructure, which has sped time to market.
“Dramatic changes in customer behavior and the related growth in mobile data traffic from the use of smart phones are having a profound impact on user expectations, service delivery and network infrastructure buildout,” said Tadashi Egawa, head of KDDI’s Service Development and Wi-Fi Business Strategy Department.
