DENVER – Even though no cable operators have emerged over the years as mobile operators in the sense of building out licensed-spectrum wireless networks, the desire for a mobility play for cable MSOs hasn’t faded – and Wi-Fi is the primary path the industry is taking to increasing wireless connectivity offerings, both in the home and on the move.
Here are the top Wi-Fi trends being talked about at this week’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver.
1. 802.11ac: The newest Wi-Fi standard is in high demand, particularly in verticals such as K-12 education. 802.11ac is a 5 GHz technology.
2. Using 5 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi deployments: Although deployments often may still be made with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, several Wi-Fi vendors said that 5 GHz is dominating, both because the spectrum isn’t as crowded as 2.4 GHz and because many devices are configured to support 5 GHz now.
3. The use of Wi-Fi analytics: Such analytics can be used to improve network operations and to get deeper insight into, say, a retailer’s traffic, or how best to market to a particular type of customer. Watch this video interview with Shahid Ahmed, managing director for Accenture and lead for its North American telecommunications service provider segment, to hear more on Wi-Fi analytics.
4. Convergence between Wi-Fi and small cells: Small cells were another facet of wireless that are getting some attention at the show. In a session on utilizing infrastructure data, Mark Geiger, senior manager of HFC design and applications support at Cox Communications, mentioned that his company is trialing small cells in its network. Steve Hratko, director of service provider marketing for Ruckus Wireless said that there are lessons to be learned in both directions — information that has been useful in deploying Wi-Fi that will be useful for small cells, and knowledge from the small cell arena that could be applied to Wi-Fi. Hear more on this and related trends from Genband’s CMO, Brad Bush:
Watch the interview with Hratko:
5. As Wi-Fi proliferates, more demand for customized concealment solutions: Whether that be in regards to equipment placement in venues such as churches where antennas may not be allowed to be placed on walls, or whether antenna covers can be painted to match specific environments. Ultimately, though, Rod Johnson, territory account manager for Xirrus in Texas and Louisiana, noted that in a recent deployment in a well-appointed regents’ room at a university, the desire for Wi-Fi connectivity ultimately trumped aesthetic demands.
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