This is an excerpt from our white paper Wi-Fi in the 5G Era – Strategy Guide for Operators. The full white paper is available here if you like what you read. Don’t hesitate to contact ENEA if you have any questions.
The new Access Traffic Steering, Switching, and Splitting (ATSSS) function is the ‘Holy Grail’ of mobile data offloading, but its complexity and reliance on device support means it will likely take years to come to market.
5G introduces new network architectural concepts for Wi-Fi integration with the mobile core (non-3GPP access). In our previous two blog posts, we explored the opportunities for mobile operators today and what is new within 5G. This blog post will cover the new Access Traffic Steering, Switching & Splitting (ATSSS) function, the ‘Holy Grail’ of mobile data offloading.
ATSSS WILL PROVIDE SMARTER CONNECTIVITY
Will new and better technology and standards for automatic network selection and intelligent convergence between mobile and Wi-Fi services be developed for the mass market of the future? The short answer is probably yes. We will address one of them here, namely the newly released Access Traffic Steering, Switching & Splitting (ATSSS) introduced in 3GPP release 16.
But the answer is also that such technologies – including Passpoint with SIM authentication – already exist for the most part. These may not be ideal but are still extensively field-proven and work well enough to have already been implemented by dozens of major carriers.
Operators actively choosing Wi-Fi offload as a strategy and who want more granular control often include so-called connectivity manager clients (apps or hidden clients) on the device. Such solutions can be pretty sophisticated depending on to what extent the app, and hence the operator, can access and control the communication layer in the device’s operating system.
The capability of such apps or hidden clients must at least include solutions to the following current imperfections in switching between Wi-Fi and mobile network access:
THE THREE “S” IN ATSSS
Wouldn’t it be a significant step up in performance and quality of experience if a phone natively could aggregate the data streams from Wi-Fi and cellular into one stream and perhaps even intelligently steer and switch traffic between the two?
We think yes – and fortunately, the 3GPP seems to think so as well since they have introduced ATSSS as part of the 3GPP Release 16 standard for 5G.
Choosing the best available network based on speed, cost, and latency.
Moving seamlessly between 5G and Wi-Fi networks.
Splitting the traffic over 5G and Wi-Fi, the split can be set by policies.
ATSSS uses the so-called Multipath TCP (MPTCP) technology, described in our white paper, to allow IP data traffic to flow simultaneously over Wi-Fi and 5G networks. The results are higher data rates, improved overall quality, and even gapless handovers between Wi-Fi and 5G.
Since very few applications and web servers support MPTCP, the ATSSS specifies an MTCP Proxy implemented in the 5G core User Plane Function (UPF). It also defines an ATSSS low layer functionality (ATSSS-LL) to support other protocols such as UDP.
The introduction of ATSSS is excellent news for advanced Wi-Fi service management platforms such as Aptilo SMP, as it makes policy management so much more complex.
ATSSS STEERING MODES
These functions, the three “S”, translate to four ATSSS standard steering modes that need to be supported in the device and in the Mobile Core (UPF).
One access network – cellular or Wi-Fi – is the active (default) access network. The traffic is routed over this access network until it becomes unavailable, in which case traffic switches over to the other access network. When the active access network is available again, the traffic is switched back.
Traffic is sent over the access network with the smallest delay. The Performance Measurement Function (PMF) determines the latency of each network connection. The underlying multipath protocol can also provide measurements.
This specifies a fixed percentage for the fraction of the traffic that should connect over the 3GPP network with the rest of the traffic sent on the non-3GPP network. This mode only applies to the quality of service (QoS) flows with a non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR).
Traffic is transmitted over a specified high-priority access network (Wi-Fi or cellular). If this access network becomes congested, the traffic overflows onto the other access network. If the high-priority access network becomes unavailable, traffic switches to the other access network (as in Active Standby). The determination of congestion is implementation-specific.
Another factor that adds to the complexity of policy management is the large number of stakeholders. Real-world deployment of ATSSS will need to cater to:
We think that ATSSS is a very promising standard. It is, to some extent, the ‘Holy Grail’ of mobile data offload, and with ATSSS, operators may finally find a good reason for backhauling Wi-Fi traffic to the mobile core. However, no 3GPP standard for Wi-Fi integration will ever be implemented in practice unless the device vendors want it.
NO REASON TO WAIT FOR ATSSS
For ATSSS to reach the mass market, device support is crucial. An example of a related standard that never achieved any market penetration at all is 3GPP ANDSF, which was a useful concept but, in the end, was never implemented natively in any device.
It may take quite a few years more for ATSSS to come to market – or alternatively, proprietary forms of essentially the same function incorporated by Apple or others may, in the end, supersede the 3GPP’s attempts. The ATSSS concept has already been tested successfully by Korea Telecom using a proprietary solution.
In either case, there is a good likelihood that Wi-Fi and 5G data streams will find new ways of complementing each other – including using aggregation & gapless handovers – on the transport layer.
Meanwhile, all the benefits of known and field-proven systems for cellular and Wi-Fi convergent services remain available to any operator who wishes to apply vastly improved Wi-Fi technology as a part of their network strategy today. Passpoint and EAP-SIM-based solutions are readily available and can possibly be complemented with an app for more granular control. In other words: Even though a more systematic 3GPP-based approach to convergence may emerge in the coming years, there is no reason to wait. Excellent convergence solutions exist today.
After a certain age, many people begin to dread their birthday. As the number of candles on their cake grows, so too do their worries about aging. With fears of fragility or disease, old age can feel like an overwhelming amount of possible change. We never want to feel like a burden to our loved ones, or even worse, stuck in our bodies. With so much stigma attached to aging, it’s no surprise that in the United States, Canada, and much of Western Europe, 90 percent of seniors want to stay in their homes for as long as possible, a notion known as ‘Aging in Place.’
Many adult children take on the job of caregivers to help seniors as they age in place. In the United States, for example, 53 million people worked as unpaid, informal caregivers in 2020. Today, panic alarms, wearables, and motion sensors are the principal means of assisting elderly people in their homes, but these solutions are proving ineffective; few people go out of their way to acquire them, and they frequently only purchase them after a crisis, such as an injury or illness. The need to act before it is too late is great. According to one study, one-fourth of seniors who fracture their hip in a fall die within six months of the injury.
The health technology market is only at the beginning of a shift away from such reactive thinking and toward proactive or even preventative methods to assist with aging in place. To be genuinely effective and proactive, a solution must be able to identify and monitor important health indicators to offer caregivers early warning of any concerns so that they may intervene before things worsen. In the medical arena, such prompt action is referred to as critical event intervention.
Caregiver Aware: The New Proactive Healthcare Solution
Our eldercare solution, Caregiver Aware, employs WiFi Motion technology to monitor loved ones as they age in place, providing caregivers with peace of mind and insights into a senior’s health while maintaining their privacy, dignity, and freedom. Caregiver Aware specializes in providing in-depth health insights to its users through AI-driven pattern recognition along with customizable routines and alerts. By equipping caregivers with the right information, the app can help them make proactive healthcare decisions, initiate health-rated conversations, and ultimately ensure that loved ones can age in place with minimal stress. Whether it’s tracking the average amount of sleep at night or if weekly activity levels are suddenly decreasing, Caregiver Aware encourages a proactive approach.
Caregiving can also be extremely overwhelming and taxing. Scenarios that cause caregivers the most worry and anxiety are those during an individual’s treatment that, if not discovered and remedied quickly, will hurt the individual’s result. They may feel as if they are playing catch-up with their loved one’s health because they were left in the dark leading up to a critical event if suitable systems are not in place or if they rely on outmoded reactive methods. Reactive tactics can leave caregivers feeling guilty, wishing they had known more so they could have prevented a crucial event in the first place.
Managing Health Issues Through Key Insights
By arming caregivers with information about their loved ones’ typical behaviours, they are equipped to respond more promptly and, in some situations, prevent a more serious occurrence. Early intervention can look like increased in-home care, visiting them to go for walks together, scheduling a doctor’s appointment to inquire about new medications, enrolling them in physical therapy, or improving their housing to keep them safe. Most importantly, Caregiver Aware is less intrusive and more reliable than counting on your loved one to either recognize unusual patterns in their own health or share health concerns they may be embarrassed about. The behaviourial analytics driven by WiFi Motion takes out much of this guesswork.
Caregiver Aware monitors several common indicators of declining health such as:
These fundamental indicators can be tracked via customizable routines and alerts that notify users of significant activity events or their absence. Caregiver Aware offers insights on activity in the home by tracking and comparing the amount or absence of movement occurring in the household each day to typical motion patterns. Similarly, the app tracks sleep patterns by monitoring for inactivity and sleep disturbances throughout the night. Caregivers can also set up customized alerts, including a Rise and Shine Alert notifying them if the household has been up and moving around as usual at the start of the day.
Help Your Customers Take Control of Their Health
The four healthy aging markers described above are essential for understanding a loved one’s health baseline. A significant drop in daily activity compared to usual, for example, could suggest that a person is ill, injured, or in the early stages of muscular atrophy, which could make them more prone to falling. Sleep pattern changes can also be an early indicator of many common maladies and illnesses often encountered by the aging population, like depression, insomnia, or even dementia. The caregiver’s early observation of unusual levels of any of these signs could lead to early action and possible prevention of a more serious occurrence.
There are many benefits to using predictive analytics in proactive healthcare systems. Theis approach is especially important for chronic disease management, early identification, and prevention. In a previous blog, we further investigated the importance of proactive healthcare versus reactive healthcare, which you can read here.
The Changing Demands of Customers
The truth is that customers’ expectations of their ISPs are increasing. Thanks to ever-evolving healthcare technologies and research, the average consumer is becoming considerably more health-conscious than ever before. According to the 2020 ADM OutsideVoice research platform, 77 percent of consumers want to do more to keep healthy in the future. This data emphasises the fact that customers demand more control. They want to be able to take immediate action to enhance and maintain their health, with visible results. The public already places a high value on health technology, with remote patient monitoring services and tools expected to reach 30 million U.S. patients by 2024, according to research from Insider Intelligence. The desire for at-home preventative solutions is increasing, and it will soon become a typical expectation from customers who will look to their internet service providers for solutions that will help them age in place.
ISPs are uniquely positioned to offer a competitive eldercare service with solutions like Caregiver Aware. They have already carefully cultivated relationships with their customers and can leverage their existing infrastructure to offer a WiFi-based motion sensing solution at a fraction of the cost of other services. While many customers might not yet realize the simplicity and peace of mind of an eldercare solution, ISPs have the opportunity to offer a new and attractive service. The unique monitoring insights available with Caregiver Aware that aren’t provided by classic monitoring solutions also give ISPs a competitive advantage allowing them to attract new clients and access the expanding health sector. With a foundational technology like Caregiver Aware, they will be able to add additional capabilities and products for years to come, allowing them to create customised solutions that best suit their customers. Through a customer’s existing wireless network infrastructure, they can utilize motion-based insights as a base service which allows them to prime for future services at additional subscription fees.
How ISPs can Capitalize on Healthcare Tech
Health monitoring is most successful when applied early in a user’s life to increase the amount of data collected to fuel potential analysis. Caregiver Aware is a non-invasive and easy to activate solution designed to be easier for seniors to adopt when they are still healthy and active rather than waiting until an event happens later in life. The earlier in life that Caregiver Aware is activated, the longer the customer’s subscription life cycle is and the more revenue an ISP can target.
Customers are also more willing to pay for healthcare solutions than ever. According to a 2020 PwC Health Research Institute consumer poll, 85% of respondents are eager to utilize DIY healthcare solutions at home, such as remote monitoring. Furthermore, the 2020 McKinsey Future of Wellness survey found that consumers in every country spend the most money on products and services that promote improved health, with 37% planning to spend more on wellness services in the future year. The market for cutting-edge healthcare technologies will only grow in the coming years. ISPs together with Cognitive Systems are in a great position to deliver empowered health monitoring solutions that improve the lives of their consumers, leverage a market set to boom, and future proof for the growth of their own services. Caregiver Aware was created to provide a bridge for service providers to employ data analytics to construct a care-focused ecosystem, which will be a game-changing step in designing future broadband services.
This is an excerpt from our white paper Wi-Fi in the 5G Era – Strategy Guide for Operators. The full white paper is available here if you like what you read. Don’t hesitate to contact ENEA if you have any questions.
Business and technical consolidation trends all point in the same direction: Mobile and fixed networks are coming together – for the benefit of everyone in the industry and consumers.
5G introduces new network architectural concepts for Wi-Fi integration with the mobile core (non-3GPP access). In this post, we first explore the opportunities for mobile operators today and then the basic concepts of trusted and untrusted Wi-Fi access. In our next blog post about Wi-Fi and Cellular convergence, we will dive into what is new within 5G, introduced in 3GPP releases 15 and 16. After that blog post, we will cover the new Access Traffic Steering, Switching & Splitting (ATSSS) function, the ‘Holy Grail’ of mobile data offloading. Spoiler alert; ATSSS complexity and reliance on device support mean it will likely take years to come to market.
WI-FI AND CELLULAR CONVERGENCE – OPPORTUNITIES TODAY
While Wi-Fi and cellular are on a gradual path to technical convergence, there can be no question that corporate fixed-cellular convergence, aka consolidation, has already been happening for a long time. Some years ago, dominant mobile operators trended towards acquiring cable and fiber operations. More recently, fixed service providers and cablecos have either acquired mobile operators or have become MVNOs themselves.
All of this is seeding the ground for technology and services convergence in addition to the more apparent corporate consolidation.
But, as already discussed in one of our blog posts, if genuine technical Wi-Fi and mobile (5G) convergence are to happen, service providers also need to break free from conventional organizational ‘silos’ and compartmentalized thinking on what technologies do and do not belong to mobile and fixed wireless services, respectively.
We believe there is significant untapped business potential in breaking such operator ‘silos’ to achieve progress in service and technological convergence.
Some of these opportunities do not need significant infrastructure investments, nor do operators need to wait for new convergence (3GPP) standards or equipment to emerge.
Selective Wi-Fi Offload is the answer
If regulations allow it, mobile operators may even take the bold step to replace cellular with Wi-Fi at some locations (CAPEX overload zone).
Here is our suggested list of reasonably simple network changes that would create a ‘Wi-Fi offload’ service and hence a quick new source of revenue for operators:
By introducing the correct configurations and by provisioning devices correctly, such a scheme would create an additional layer of mobile network capacity using Wi-Fi. But this would also require that mobile and fixed parts of the operator organization collaborate.
Let’s now look into how to integrate Wi-Fi with the mobile core. The 3GPP standard offers two main strategies to integrate Wi-Fi networks with the mobile core: Trusted and untrusted non-3GPP (Wi-Fi) access.
UNTRUSTED NON-3GPP (WI-FI) ACCESS
Untrusted non-3GPP (Wi-Fi) access was first introduced in the Wi-Fi specification in 3GPP Release 6 (2005). At that time, Wi-Fi access points featuring advanced security features were rare. Hence Wi-Fi was considered open and unsecured by default. Untrusted access includes any Wi-Fi access that the operator has no control over, such as public hotspots, subscribers’ home Wi-Fi, and corporate Wi-Fi. It also consists of Wi-Fi that does not provide sufficient security mechanisms such as authentication and radio link encryption.
The fact that untrusted non-3GPP access works over any Wi-Fi network is the reason that it is the method of choice for Wi-Fi Calling.
The untrusted model requires no changes to the Wi-Fi network but impacts the device side because it needs an IPsec client to reside on the device. The device is connected through a secure IPsec tunnel directly to an IPsec Terminating Gateway in the Mobile Core, which is connected through an encrypted tunnel to the Packet Gateway. The Packet Gateway is used for both cellular and Wi-Fi traffic.
This integration on the core network side also means that Wi-Fi service management platforms, such as the Aptilo Service Management Platform™ (SMP), must interface with mobile core network HLR/HSS/AMF for SIM Authentication (EAP-SIM/AKA/AKA’ or 5G-AKA). This provides the same level of authentication security as in the cellular network. It may also be required to interface with mobile core network policy functions. In addition to authentication of the device, the SIM authentication process produces cryptographic keys used for IPsec tunnel establishment.
TRUSTED NON-3GPP (WI-FI) ACCESS
Trusted non-3GPP (Wi-Fi) access was first introduced with the LTE standard in 3GPP Release 8 (2008). Trusted access is often assumed to be operator-built Wi-Fi access with encryption (enabled by 802.1x) in the Wi-Fi radio access network (RAN) and a secure authentication method (EAP). However, it is always up to the home operator to decide what is considered trusted.
In the case of trusted access, the device (UE) is connected through a Wireless Access Gateway in the Wi-Fi core. This Wireless Access Gateway is connected through a secure tunnel directly with the Packet Gateway, also used for cellular traffic in the Mobile Core.
SIM Authentication is also essential for trusted non-3GPP access. In addition to authentication of the device, it produces cryptographic keys used for encryption in the secure Wi-Fi network (802.1x).
Calix continues to drive innovation and broadband service provider success by integrating Calix Support Cloud with more than 100 third-party residential gateways, opening the full range of award-winning support and testing services with no need for new or additional hardware
SAN JOSE, CA—April 21, 2022—Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) announced today that it continues to deliver on its commitment to open industry standards for broadband service providers (BSPs). The award-winning Calix Support Cloud (Support Cloud)—which helps BSPs of any size reduce truck rolls by as much as 46 percent and increase first-call resolutions by as much as 74 percent—now fully integrates with more than 100 third-party gateways. A growing number of BSPs are leveraging Support Cloud to transform their call centers, because even those with legacy equipment in subscriber homes can enjoy the full benefits of the solution. Calix has long supported open industry standards that provide BSPs with the flexibility to innovate at their own pace. By combining the flexibility and speed of open source with the efficiencies of interoperability and open standards, Calix opens a world of opportunity for BSPs to simplify their operations, excite their subscribers, and grow their revenue.
Calix supports BSP business transformations by:
“We first became a Calix Support Cloud customer to help us perform critical FCC performance testing, but Support Cloud integration with our gateways has created tremendous value for us,” said Cody Mitchell, TAC Supervisor for Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative, serving western Montana and eastern Idaho. “We have seven different gateways that communicate at least some information to the Support Cloud. Calix gives us the flexibility to conduct performance testing no matter what device is on the customer’s premises.”
“We have leveraged Calix software platforms essentially from their beginning; influencing their development through early adopter programs,” said Jason Jenkins, Network Manager at Silver Star Communications, which also serves Wyoming and Idaho. “Calix software has allowed us to associate both Calix and alternate vendor CPE to provide a near-seamless experience for all service delivery methods. We have also leveraged Support Cloud NetOps to complete our ACAM II preliminary testing quickly, without the need to deploy additional hardware or software.”
“Calix is committed to serving our customers with open-source innovation that eliminates the need for closed, proprietary ecosystems,” said Matt Collins, executive vice president for commercial operations and chief marketing officer. “Each of our customers faces a unique set of challenges at both ends of the subscriber experience. Calix Cloud helps even the smallest BSP successfully address those challenges. Furthermore, our active support of open industry standards fosters development of new standards and encourages innovation so BSPs can transform their businesses, own their markets, and grow value for themselves and their communities.”
Discover why Calix believes open industry standards accelerate innovation for all.
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) – Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission; to enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix’s business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.
Press Inquiries:
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410-979-1747
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San Jose, Calif. – April 19, 2022 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), the leading provider of networking products that power businesses both large and small, today announced the latest addition to its managed wireless access point portfolio, the Insight Managed WiFi 6 AX3000 Dual-band Multi-Gig PoE Access Point (WAX615). Developed for small and medium businesses (SMBs), the WAX615 provides the fastest dual-band, WiFi 6, multi-gig performance and coverage with NETGEAR Insight remote cloud management and the NETGEAR unique Instant Mesh capability.
Broadband internet access for businesses has broken the Gigabit per second speed limit. End-point device WiFi speeds have increased as WiFi technology has evolved from one generation to the next. Businesses must upgrade their WiFi infrastructure to keep up with customer demand as well as data-driven business operations. The WAX615 provides SMBs and managed service providers with a powerful WiFi solution based on the latest WiFi 6 Release 2 technology, delivering twice the throughput compared to WiFi 6 Release 1, at a price comparable to its immediate predecessor. The WAX615 is backwards compatible with all NETGEAR Insight Managed WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 Access Points, making it an easy, drop-in upgrade to existing Insight networks.
With a top speed of 3Gbps, superior range and easy setup, the WAX615 access point delivers seamless roaming, load balancing and multi-user access for the best WiFi experience in high density environments. The device also includes one-year free Insight subscription for fully centralized, real-time setup, monitoring, and control with no need for extra management hardware. Furthermore, the WAX615 features one 2.5Gbps Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Ethernet port for faster wired connectivity and easy installation. It’s ideally paired with NETGEAR GSM4210P, MS510TXPP, MS510TXUP and MS108EUP PoE switches.
“The WAX615 is yet another example of NETGEAR’s commitment to innovation and delivering superior WiFi solutions to customers,” said Douglas Cheung, director of product line management for NETGEAR Business Wireless. “The result of our innovation is the WAX615 that delivers higher data throughput, improved network efficiency, and a better user experience, all while maintaining management consistency across generations of products and at an attractive price point.”
Unprecedented Business Class WiFi 6 Security
Small and medium organizations can enjoy enterprise level security without expenditures typically associated with this class of product. NETGEAR Insight makes it simple to configure and maintain network security with features that include:
Insight Managed WiFi 6 AP Lineup
Additional Features:
Availability
NETGEAR® Insight Managed WiFi 6 AX3000 Dual-band Multi-Gig PoE Access Point (WAX615) is available this month on NETGEAR.com.
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR® (NASDAQ: NTGR) has pioneered advanced networking technologies for homes, businesses, and service providers around the world since 1996 and leads the industry with a broad range of award-winning products designed to simplify and improve people’s lives. By enabling people to collaborate and connect to a world of information and entertainment, NETGEAR is dedicated to delivering innovative and advanced connected solutions ranging from mobile and cloud-based services for enhanced control and security, to smart networking products, video over Ethernet for Pro AV applications, easy-to-use WiFi solutions and performance gaming routers to enhance online game play. The company is headquartered out of San Jose, Calif. with offices located around the globe. More information is available from theNETGEAR Investor Pageor by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR:Twitter,Facebook,Instagramand theNETGEAR blogatNETGEAR.com.
Source: NETGEAR-G
U.S. Media Contact:
U.S. Sales Inquiries:(408) 907-8000, sales@netgear.com
Overview
The digital economy has transmuted how businesses are structured, how firms interact, and how consumers obtain services and information.
An efficient digital-based economy requires the deployment of technology infrastructure that is ubiquitous, high-speed, secure, and flexible for developing a digital supply chain, which can be used by businesses to transform the way they operate.
The pandemic has forced the world to adapt and change. The emergence of a flexible hybrid model of connectivity, which is pandemic-induced, has necessitated enterprises to rethink their go-to-market strategies, workforce management practices, and digital business processes.
Hyper-converged wireless connectivity ties together businesses with technology to bring aggressive economics into play.
Challenges
A report by United Nations suggests that nearly 3 billion people – or 37% of the world’s population – have never used the Internet, despite the pandemic driving people online. The unconnected economy is a huge missed opportunity for enterprises to become future-proof by providing their consumers with access to the best products, services, and experiences. Telecom operators to blur this digital divide delve into new ways to manage costs and provide Internet for all, but the demand remains unfulfilled due to commercialization, competition, and license fee pressure.
Solution
TIP- building a roadmap for industry transformation. The disaggregated network is becoming a reality for enterprises, allowing them to build larger, more robust networks and offer innovative services to their customers. Telecom Infra Project (TIP) has established an Open Platform to build cost-efficient and flexible networks that can be tailored to specific business needs and preferences, intending to bring ubiquitous connectivity to all. TIP’s Open Platform brings telecom operators, system integrators, and other stakeholders together to build a flexible, high-speed, and lower-cost network that can connect all areas of a city or region.
OpenWiFi is an initiative designed to assemble a “fully disaggregated Wi-Fi system,” including a cloud controller SDK and Enterprise-grade Access Points, designed and validated to work seamlessly together. The validation and certification infrastructure ensures all components and Access Points are robust to interoperate seamlessly. Some of its salient features include community-driven development, interoperable multiple vendors, no vendor lock-in, and reduced TCO.
Its tech stack comprises advanced enterprise and Carrier-grade features, including open APIs, open-source core, choice of controllers, interoperable open interface, and choice of HW – multiple vendors / models, and standard air interface.
It enables connectivity providers, such as SPs, MSPs, MNOs, MSOs, businesses to connect with wireless Internet, hotspot, roaming/offload, etc. It is developed by the OEMs using the OpenWiFi stack to add value for WLANaaS, security, UX, etc.
The open-source community supports cloud-native controller software and manages & controls distributed Wi-Fi deployment. It has feature-rich integrated AP firmware, a production-ready image, and a single code base for all Whitebox platforms (Wi-Fi 5, 6 & 6E, indoor & outdoor)
IO by HFCL- building a holistic networking ecosystem with TIP
As one of the early adopters and partners of the TIP Open Wi-Fi ecosystem and tech stack, IO has brought a series of TIP-ready devices to achieve mass-market penetration of OpenWiFi to empower the connectivity ecosystem to grow and mature.
With extensive years of experience in designing and deploying access solutions worldwide, IO, in alliance with TIP, is actively deploying OpenWiFi based networks in Asia and Africa to
develop cost-effective open-source powered Access Points and wireless controllers.
“The vision of TIP OpenWIFi to connect everyone and everything and everywhere echoes through our goal to deliver high-quality connectivity over the length and breadth of the globe. We are confident that TIP and IO will continue to innovate and drive the next wave of innovation and will converge in the future. It is a platform where people and companies can build, share, and improve the ecosystem together.”
–Bhuvnesh Sachdeva, VP- IO product, HFCL Ltd.
Takeaway
OpenWiFi disaggregation unlocks untapped value for enterprises and service providers by enabling them to disaggregate their networks, reducing costs and improving operational efficiency. It also provides an opportunity for new players to enter the market and drive socio-economic development, by expanding the wireless footprint. The world is becoming increasingly connected and increasingly digital. IO’s mission is to improve lives by connecting people, information and things, and we do this through our innovative range of access solutions to enable people to interact, learn, work and engage, wherever and however they want, on any digital device. Our solutions are constantly evolving to meet the needs of our customers today and the challenges of the future. We are dedicated to delivering a better tomorrow by building a future-ready network connectivity ecosystem, with the most advanced technology.
Reach us to discover how we can empower your business with seamless connectivity.
Our Website: https://io.hfcl.com
This article is authored by Mr. Anuj Mago, Associate VP, HFCL Ltd
One of the first Wi-Fi 6E Operator boxes in the world, the new Livebox 6 is eco-responsible and offers the latest digital home services with the best Wi-Fi Experience possible
Paris, France – April 8th, 2022 – SoftAtHome, an independent software company for broadband, video, and analytics, is a central contributor to one of the world’s first Wi-Fi 6E operator box launches with Orange’s new Livebox 6.
One of the World’s First Wi-Fi 6E Operator Boxes
The new Livebox 6 allows Orange to provide the best Wi-Fi experience in terms of bandwidth and latency available today. The box brings Wi-Fi 6E, and its compatibility with the new Orange application “Orange et Moi” lets users manage the Livebox directly from their smartphone. SoftAtHome’s Wifi’ON Smart Wi-Fi product powers the Livebox 6. Subscribers will see improved in-home connectivity for a smoother Internet experience thanks to the next-gen Wi-Fi services that the 6E standard enable. Wi- Fi bandwidth can be rise to 2 Gbps. The added radio spectrum and automatic tri-band steering between 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands drastically reduce network saturation to improve network experience while working from home or enjoying entertainment.
Ease of Use: Equipped with Eyes’ON for Self-Care Empowerment
Thanks to an innovative e-ink screen, user-friendly diagnostics can be displayed as well as contextualized QR codes to ease self-care through the mobile app, users can quickly launch speed tests or share a QR code to connect new devices or guests.
Equipped with Eyes’ON by SoftAtHome, the Livebox 6 empowers the end-user with self-care capacities. The Orange & Moi mobile App helps with the box installation at home. It provides real-time analytics to help fix issues using self-diagnosis and optimally position repeaters within the home using a network map and speed-test features.
A Step Towards Sustainability
The Livebox 6 has an eco-friendly design with an automated green mode: when no Wi-Fi 6E device is detected, the 6 GHz band automatically switches off. It will not be reactivated until a Wi-Fi 6E device is detected. The end-user can activate either a light or a deep sleep mode to reduce energy consumption further (below 0.3 W). These modes are directly configurable from within the mobile App or the gateway’s touch screen.
Connect’ON and Improved Quality of Services
Livebox 6 integrates SoftAtHome’s Connect’ON to optimise the Quality of Services and deliver the best bandwidth possible. The home network services that subscribers expect from premium devices, such as, for example, parental control or a Guest WLAN, are all present. Orange’s new gateway is also the first equipped with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, enabling end to end 2Gbps bandwidth.
“At Orange, we have been innovating with our supplier SoftAtHome. This is the first box in the market with a deep sleep mode. Together we have delivered the most powerful Wi-Fi and home connectivity product and services,” said Laurent Feurer, Product Marketing Director for Broadband Devices and Telco services at Orange. “With our new Livebox 6 that includes Wi-Fi 6E, our French subscribers are among the first to enjoy the new Wi-Fi capabilities from the latest Wi-Fi standard”.
“With new post-pandemic Wi-Fi requirements, the entire SoftAtHome team was committed to ensuring that the new Livebox 6 was up to the challenge,” said David Viret-Lange, CEO of SoftAtHome. “We are proud of Orange’s renewed confidence in our expertise in the Connected Home Experience”.
About SoftAtHome
Contact:
Marta Twardowska for SoftAtHome E: press@softathome.com
M: +31 621-184-585
T: @SoftAtHome
SoftAtHome is an independent software provider with six different solutions for broadband (Connect’ON), Smart Wi-Fi (Wifi’ON), Cyber Security (Secure’ON), Smart Home (Things’ON), video (Watch’ON), analytics and QoE monitoring (Eyes’ON). Telecom operators deploy the company’s products in over 25 million home networks and millions of mobile devices. The company, owned by operators, has more than 300 employees, mainly software engineers committed to open-source communities such as prpl or RDK. SoftAtHome’s hybrid products uniquely leverage the best from Cloud-based software components and software embedded in multiple mobile and fixed devices. For more information visit: www.softathome.com or contact@softathome.com
WaveTunnelTM Technology Delivers an Intelligent, Indoor, Broadband Backhaul Solution for the Enterprise with the Performance of Fiber, but Without Costly and Cumbersome Cabling.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Airvine’s WaveTunnel technology has begun to ship to selected enterprise accounts worldwide. Those deployments have generated great excitement and we are planning on general availability in Q3. This technology will completely revolutionize enterprise indoor networking by delivering the broadband backhaul speeds required by technologies like Wi-Fi 6/6E, but without any of the limitations of having to pull wire.
Early deployments are with enterprise clients in the multi-dwelling unit (MDU), manufacturing, warehousing, and hospitality sectors. These clients have a strong need for a high-performance backhaul solution that is quick and easy to install, and can easily accommodate rapid moves, adds, and changes. The do-it-yourself nature of a WaveTunnel installation is also a compelling feature.
“We are very excited to begin shipments of our ground-breaking WaveTunnel technology. There has been great enthusiasm on the part of our pilot customers who are eager to get this technology into their production networks. The pilot phase has been massively oversubscribed.” Vivek Ragavan, CEO, Airvine
“New enterprise wireless deployments of Wi-Fi 6/6E require high-performance backhaul. Yet existing cabling may be insufficient – either poor quality, or in the wrong places. Indoor private 4G and 5G deployments face similar challenges in the future as well. Wireless backhaul solutions such as Airvine’s have the potential to be a disruptor in these scenarios.” Dean Bubley, Director at Disruptive Analysis
“Airvine’s solution is very impressive, and it will be a game-changer. The days of disrupting the enterprise with technicians stringing wire through drop ceilings and heating ducts is over. The future is about quick and effortless installs of broadband wireless backhaul technology. This is the latest in an industry trend toward Replace The Wire Technology” Claus Hetting, CEO Wi-Fi NOW Events
Airvine is developing an entirely new class of wireless technology that utilizes unlicensed spectrum in the 60 GHz band (57 to 71 GHz in the U.S.) to backhaul indoor enterprise data traffic. It’s the perfect fit for enterprise customers that:
The Magic of Airvine technology can be found in the following:
For more on Airvine technology please visit us at www.airvine.com
About Airvine
Airvine is a fast-growing Silicon Valley innovator of intelligent broadband wireless backhaul solutions for the enterprise. The company has developed the industry’s first indoor 60 GHz wireless system that exceeds the speed and rivals the reliability of structured wiring solutions at a fraction of the deployment time and cost. Patented RF innovations extend the range and gain of wireless signals, penetrating walls and steering around obstacles that impede transmission.
SOURCE Airvine
This is an excerpt from our white paper Wi-Fi in the 5G Era – Strategy Guide for Operators. The full white paper is available here if you like what you read. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
OFFLOAD TRAFFIC WILL ONLY INCREASE
Rapid evolution and availability of new technology and new spectrum are making carrier Wi-Fi inevitable as a strategic technology of choice for service providers everywhere. The idea that Wi-Fi is the dominant indoor wireless technology is not new. But we believe that Wi-Fi’s dominance will be even more pronounced in the 5G era.
It is well known that device data consumption continues to rise particularly as the result of the increased popular demand for video streaming and – more recently perhaps – the explosive demand for collaborative work applications, such as video conferencing. More than this, research suggests (see figure) that the need for mobile networks to ‘offload’ traffic to Wi-Fi will substantially increase in the 5G era.
In some countries – such as the UK, Japan, and Germany – ‘Wi-Fi offload’ percentages (meaning the percentage of smartphone traffic delivered over Wi-Fi networks of any kind) are already well above 80%. In connection with the US decision to allocate all of the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi, the FCC cited the need for offload from 5G networks as an important contributing factor in their decision.
Most analysts believe Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E technology will be ramped up quickly and indeed faster than previous generations of Wi-Fi, specifically because work-from-home connectivity today is business critical for ISPs and consumers. Such factors will continue to play important roles as drivers of renewed connectivity demand as will the continued growth in number of devices in the home as well as data consumption.
The next phase in the ramp-up and deployment of new Wi-Fi technology will then be enterprise and carrier-grade APs and supporting systems. This evolution will happen a little later but also in parallel with the mass-market deployment of home Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E gateways and systems.
In general, the IEEE 802.11 standardization working group is now aiming for a Wi-Fi technology renewal cycle of five years, which means full market penetration of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E into the enterprise and service provider Wi-Fi markets will sharply rise and come to completion around 2025-26.
Meanwhile it is critical to understand that the availability of pristine new unlicensed spectrum has made the case for carrier Wi-Fi hugely more compelling. Have a look – for example – at the graphic picturing the total licensed spectrum holdings for mobile operators. The analysis uses the UK as an example.
The most amount of licensed spectrum is held by BT and totals 295 MHz while H3G is in second place totaling 229.5 MHz. None of the UK’s mobile operators hold more than 300 MHz of total licensed spectrum – and most hold much less.
The UK recently released 500 MHz of pristine – meaning unused by legacy Wi-Fi – unlicensed spectrum in the lower 6 GHz band. That slice of Wi-Fi spectrum alone is around double the amount of licensed band that most UK mobile operators hold at this time. Add to this the existing 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bands – and we contend that it is becoming increasingly difficult for operators to reject the strategic use of carrier Wi-Fi services. Mobile and fixed operators need to embrace carrier Wi-Fi today to stay competitive.
In countries where the full 1.2 GHz of 6 GHz spectrum (up to 7.2 GHz) has been released – including the US, Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of Chile thus far – the situation is even more extreme. The total amount of unlicensed spectrum available (some of it available for outdoor use as well) could be up to 10 times as much as the licensed spectrum holdings of a single mobile operator.
Digital learning is the quickest growing market in the education industry, with a whopping 900% growth since 2000. – KPMG
We are going through unprecedented time and Covid-19 Pandemic has directly impacted every sector possible. However, Internet penetration on a global scale has mitigated the catastrophe to a large extent and became an essential tool to communicate for every sector/industry and specifically for education.
The potential of the Internet in the new-age learning models, Hybrid (online + offline) HyFlex (hybrid+ flexible), is giving access to billions of nuggets of information visible online to learners worldwide.
Broadband technologies empower hybrid+ HyFlex learning with a unique teaching experience, knowledge-sharing, pedagogical expertise while transforming the world as the single largest library.
Internet – a road to Connected Learning.
Internet’s value in improving and enhancing the overall learning experience is undisputed, which got further amplified during the pandemic. The growing adoption of online resources bridges education divides, transforms learning, and improves skills for the globalized economy.
Connecting learners with many educational tools, modules, digital libraries, blogs, wikis, podcasts, videos, e-libraries/textbooks, thereby laying a foundation for a more reliable future, is no more far-fetched.
However, the major spin-off here is slow, low, and no connectivity that breaks the rhythm of learning.
Connectivity challenges & way forward with Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6 is designed to empower the new age of learning, enabling educational institutions to provide campus-wide connectivity with high-speed, secure Internet by boosting device density. So learners, irrespective of their location, can access, learn and explore futuristic experiential learning anytime and anywhere.
For a brief rundown, Wi-Fi 6 boosts overall performance with increased throughput speeds, higher security, improved network congestion, better client capacity, and reduced power consumption.
-OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) lets multiple devices be supported with Access Points at a lower latency, minimizing contention for channel access between Wi-Fi devices.
-With Beam Forming feature, Access Point detects where the device requesting the data is located and transmits a more localized data stream in that direction, instead of broadcasting data in all directions, leading to improved speed and high-performance.
-MU-MIMO (Multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output) enables splitting device data into multiple streams for improved Internet efficiency. Channels are split into even smaller chunks so numerous users can experience simultaneous transmissions.
-1024-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) allows more bits to be encoded per symbol transmission over the air using the encoding technology. With this data-encoding density boosted up to 25 percent within the same spectrum, it becomes easier to support more devices simultaneously, even if devices are running throughput-intensive streaming or video apps.
Wi-Fi 6 has ensured that connectivity is no longer a barrier to learning while fostering the education sector to handle the unknown, where learning adapts to each child instead of each child trying to adapt to school. – Anand Kumar, GM-Sales (Govt. Account), HFCL Ltd.
Future dictated by Technology-led learning.
Global E-Learning Market to Reach $457.8 Billion by 2026. – Global News Wire
Connectivity is a driver for inclusive and gender-equal learning, employability and livelihoods. The blended learning model will be a ubiquitous component of the education system worldwide. To narrow digital inequalities, Indian Govt has increased the education budget from Rs 104, 278 crores to Rs 93, 274 crores for 2022-23.
Forward-thinking global institutions like the University of Illinois, Harvard, IIT, IIM, MIT, and so forth are investing extensively in building a resilient mechanism of blended education delivery.
At IO by HFCL, we are equipping, enabling, and advancing digital education globally with our range of access solutions to seize once-in-a-generation learning opportunities to leapfrog children and youth into the future they want and deserve.
Epilogue
The education industry aced the path of ‘disruption to recovery’ amid pandemic with broadband Internet, which acted as a catalyst for the digital revolution. It brought a massive transformation in the learning landscape, technological disruptions while meeting the demand for quality education.
At IO by HFCL, we believe pandemic brought the world an opportunity to rethink and restructure education systems globally. Broadband technology emerged as a panacea enabling learners to learn from anywhere, anytime, in any rhythm, and with any means.
With trending Wi-Fi trends such as Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7, it would be easier to build an education system that is more resilient and responsive to students’ needs.
Get in touch with IO by HFCL to penetrate new business markets with a robust Internet-connected system to support seamless and affordable connectivity everywhere.
This article is authored by Mr. Anand Kumar, GM-Sales, HFCL Ltd.
