Almost 90% of all base stations will be small cells by 2016, according to the Small Cell Forum. Wi-Fi integration is a key to leveraging these small cells, according to the independent industry group, which has published a report at Mobile World Congress outlining the opportunities and challenges of Wi-Fi integration.
The Small Cell Forum says operator efficiencies that result from integrating small cells and Wi-Fi include shared backhaul, lower equipment costs, simplified installation, reduced cellular interference, and increased ability to manage traffic. Integration enables intelligent offload, meaning that traffic can be seamlessly shifted between the cellular and Wi-Fi networks based on network congestion, and based on the needs of each individual users. This seamless transfer of traffic was a key motivation for Ericsson in its recent decision to acquire BelAir Networks, a provider of carrier-grade Wi-Fi services.
Small cell/Wi-Fi integration can present new challenges for enterprise IT departments and for ISPs. IT departments may need to manage operator traffic and internal traffic separately, and may need to impose new security requirements. ISPs may need to work closely with carriers since they are often the vendors of small cells to residential customers.
The Small Cell Forum report focuses on the operator benefits inherent in small cell/Wi-Fi integration, but also points out that integration helps the end user by improving the speed of their mobile connections.
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