Analyst Angle: A performance boost from combining Wi-Fi and LTE unlicensed

A conversation with Mike Schabel, VP of Small Cells, Alcatel-Lucent
Download a transcript of the complete interview now and be among the first to receive the complete report when finalized.
Densification of the network infrastructure with small cells and Wi-Fi is one path that Alcatel-Lucent has pursued over recent years. With the newly announced Wireless Unified Networks, Alcatel-Lucent has moved two steps further, by adding what it calls Cellular Boost with LTE unlicensed, and adding Wi-Fi Boost by closely tying Wi-Fi and cellular transmission.
On the Wi-Fi front, Mike Schabel, VP of Small Cells at Alcatel-Lucent, told us that “as you put more demands on Wi-Fi, you’re going to expose the challenges that that technology has. It has a lot of spectrum, and so a lot of capacity. But what we also saw is that the uplink is challenged. That network can be better served by using a cellular solution. What we’ve come up with is a technology called Wireless Unified Networks. We’re saying it’s not Wi-Fi or cellular, but it’s Wi-Fi and cellular operating at the same time using their inherent strengths to deliver a unified experience to users.”
In this perspective, LTE-U is complementary. “LTE-U is just more spectrum for LTE. Wireless Unified Networks are about blending technologies to get a better overall user experience. We can actually take LTE-U as the cellular piece,” he added. “Remember, I’m just taking Wi-Fi and cellular and I’m putting them together. I can also take Wi-Fi and LTE-U and put them together. It’s exactly the same. These are coexisting concepts, not competitive concepts in any way.”
Read the full interview or watch the video to find out more about Alcatel-Lucent’s views on how to leverage access to the 5 GHz band with both Wi-Fi and LTE unlicensed using LWA.
This conversation will be included in the Senza Fili report “LTE Unlicensed and Wi-Fi: Moving Beyond Coexistence” that will be published in May. If you would like to receive a complimentary copy of the report, please click here and you will be among the first to receive the report when it is finalized.