Austin, TX, and Washington, D.C. – February 13, 2025 – Wi-Fi Alliance^® welcomes and strongly supports UK Ofcom’s newly released consultation on expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile, and Wi-Fi^® services. This proposal represents a significant step forward in ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of wireless innovation and connectivity.

By considering an expansion of Wi-Fi access in the upper 6 GHz band, Ofcom acknowledges the critical role that Wi-Fi plays in delivering high-performance, next-generation connectivity for consumers, businesses, and industries across the UK. The 6 GHz band is essential for enabling cutting-edge applications – even in high-density enterprise environments – such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), immersive reality, telemedicine, and smart manufacturing.

“Wi-Fi Alliance commends Ofcom’s leadership in recognizing the immense benefits of 6 GHz Wi-Fi,” said Alex Roytblat, Vice President of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs at Wi-Fi Alliance. “This proposal underscores the UK’s commitment to fostering digital innovation and ensuring that Wi-Fi remains a cornerstone of connectivity, supporting economic growth and technological advancement.”

Expanding Wi-Fi access in the 6 GHz band will enable delivery of high-performance, low latency, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity to help alleviate congestion and enhance broadband performance. The expansion will also ensure that UK consumers and enterprises can fully leverage the latest Wi-Fi technologies, including Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi Alliance looks forward to engaging with Ofcom throughout the consultation process and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that the UK’s spectrum policy supports an open, competitive, and innovation-driven wireless ecosystem.

About Wi-Fi Alliance^®  |  www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance^® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi^®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 80,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the Internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.

Wi-Fi 8, officially known as the IEEE 802.11bn standard, builds on Wi-Fi 7’s advancements to deliver the next leap in connectivity. Our video series, 3 for 3, provides 3 answers for 3 pressing questions about trends in wireless test. In the latest video, LitePoint’s Khushboo Kalyani takes a high-level look at Wi-Fi 8. Watch now to explore what it is, what are some key features its targeting and how it will impact future applications.

VIDEO

As we move into 2025, SMBs and service providers will likely face network infrastructure challenges resulting from adopting advanced applications and a shift in work processes that drive the requirement for more bandwidth, faster speeds, and increased reliability. Meeting and exceeding those ever-increasing network performance expectations while managing increasingly tight budgets will require a robust, future-proof infrastructure to eliminate network bottlenecks and maximize productivity.

Cloud-based Services will Drive Demand for Bandwidth and Speed

The demand for increased bandwidth and faster internet speeds in the SMB segment is largely being driven by the shift to cloud-based services and the adoption of 2.5G and 5G services to support bandwidth-intensive applications such as video streaming and transfer of large files.

To support their customers’ increased bandwidth and speed demands, ISPs will need to increase their core networks and offerings to deliver speeds beyond 10G to their customers. A high-speed switch to be released by Zyxel Networks this year will enable metro and rural connectivity over fiber at 2.5G, 5G, 10G, and 25G speeds to stay ahead of cable modem services and 5G type service providers.

Faster Network Speeds will Require High-Performance Security Solutions

As internet speeds surpass 1G to 2.5G, 5G, and 10G, in support of the adoption of cloud and remote work applications by SMBs, enhanced security firewalls will be required to maintain full security for the network. As internet speeds increase, the volume of data increases and security devices need to process this data at high speed to eliminate a data bottleneck. In this high-speed environment, a high-performance network security device is required to provide real-time threat detection, minimize latency, and support advanced technologies like cloud computing, IoT, and AI.

Zyxel H-series family of firewalls provides SMBs and solution providers with robust network protection solutions to support a variety of business sizes ranging from small offices of 25 users up to hundreds of users. These firewalls enable businesses to increase network speed and productivity and deliver robust network security while keeping costs down.

WiFi 7 Fixed Wireless Solutions will Enable Critical Communications in Congested Urban Environments

2.4GHz and 5GHz public WiFi networks in highly populated urban and suburban areas can become easily overwhelmed by the sheer number of connected devices accessing the network. This can become particularly problematic when natural disasters, such as flooding, tornadoes, severe storms, and wildfires, impact highly populated urban and suburban areas, making network use difficult or impossible for emergency responders and residents. WiFi 7 fixed wireless solutions deliver the bandwidth and speeds that can provide life-saving connectivity that increases the efficiency of rescue and recovery efforts.

Designed to provide higher density and performance in congested urban environments, the WiFi 7 6GHz band delivers 5x faster speeds than WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E and provides more than double the bandwidth of 2.4GHz and 5GHz combined. The ability to support more devices with consistently high speeds will make WiFi 7 fixed wireless solutions invaluable in congested urban environments and in the event of surge connectivity.

Cybersecurity firm shows spikes in malicious traffic leading up to and during high-profile sporting events

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feb. 12, 2025 – DNSFilter today released information gathered through its DNS content filtering platform regarding gambling traffic, both malicious and legitimate, in the lead up to Super Bowl LIX. The data showcases key threats during the NFL playoff season, particularly in January during the NFL playoffs, where unsanctioned streaming and gambling activities increased.

On the day of the Super Bowl, DNSFilter blocked 57% more malicious content related to gambling and betting compared to the rest of the NFL post-season. Previous high spikes to these malicious betting sites coincided with Super Bowl LVIII and 2024 March Madness.

Since sports betting is now legal in a majority of US states, overall traffic to DNSFilter’s gambling category has increased over the last year. Compared to the same timeframe last February, daily traffic to all gambling sites has increased 71%, surpassing DNSFilter’s overall network growth of 16%.

Other key statistics and insights from DNSFilter’s research, focusing on online threats leading up to the 2025 Super Bowl, include:

Streaming Media and Malware:

• A 15% increase in illegal streaming and torrenting traffic related to fake streaming sites during championship weekend compared to the previous average held between May and December 2024, indicating an escalating risk of security issues tied to streaming during major NFL events. This week had the highest traffic to illegal streaming sites ever on the DNSFilter network. Unauthorized streaming is a common risk factor for organizations, especially with unmanaged devices accessing potentially harmful content.

Threats by Domain:

• Domains related to the NFL have been seeing increased security threats, with spikes in malicious activity associated with streaming sites, gambling and possibly phishing attacks targeting Super Bowl fans or bettors.
• Threat domains with “football” in the domain name surged in January, with spikes on January 14, the day after Super Wild Card Weekend, and Super Bowl Sunday.

Fake Betting Site Trends:

• A significant 20% of malicious gambling domains identified during the NFL playoffs used a string of numbers in their names, a common tactic for “mirror” sites that attempt to evade detection. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a gambling site, this is an indicator that it may be a scam.
• Most malicious domains related to betting were categorized as malware, while most traffic came from newly registered domains.
• A site with a captcha does not necessarily mean it is safe. Some malicious sites will show a captcha before entering because the host is suspicious of the site, but has not taken it down. DNSFilter encountered a handful of fake betting sites with Captchas during this investigation.

TK Keanini, CTO, DNSFilter, said: “Our technology prevents access to unwanted content by identifying and categorizing threats and harmful sites before a connection is made. With real-time insights into evolving tactics, we’re committed to staying a step ahead, safeguarding users from threats tied to high-profile events like the Super Bowl. By continuously educating and protecting users, we can help foster a safer online environment during sporting events and beyond.”

About the company:

DNSFilter is redefining how organizations secure their largest threat vector: the Internet itself. DNSFilter is making the Internet safer and workplaces more productive by blocking threats at the DNS layer. DNSFilter resolves upwards of 170 billion daily queries. With 79% of attacks using Domain Name System (DNS), DNSFilter provides the world’s fastest protective DNS powered by AI, blocking threats an average of 10 days faster than traditional threat feeds. Over 35 million users trust DNSFilter to protect them from phishing, malware, and advanced cyber threats.

There’s a great deal of talk around the capability of Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) to revolutionize the wireless experience. It’s not hype. A key feature that delivers this transformative impact is multi-link operation (MLO). A mandatory and defining component of 802.11be, MLO enables a multi-link device (MLD) to simultaneously operate across multiple frequency bands, including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz.

Access point (AP) and non-AP MLDs learn each other’s MLO parameters and capabilities through the multi-link information elements exchanged in frames like Beacons and Association Request/Response. In this blog, I’ll illustrate MLO’s impact on wireless connectivity and show you how it works in simultaneous transfer/receive (STR) mode.

How does multi-link operation (MLO) enhance wireless connectivity?

MLO introduces significant benefits for a variety of use cases. Key enhancements include:

• Simultaneous use of multiple bands. MLDs can transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) data over more than one band at the same time. This is useful in environments with heavy congestion, as it avoids interference on any single band.
• Improved throughput. MLO leverages the combined capacity of multiple channels across different bands to enable higher aggregate throughput. This makes Wi-Fi 7 ideal for bandwidth-heavy applications like video streaming, virtual reality, and online gaming.
• Reduced latency. By offloading traffic across multiple channels. This is particularly useful in gaming, video conferencing, or other apps that require real-time communication.
• Better reliability and robustness. If one band (for example, 2.4 GHz) experiences congestion, then station (STA) MLDs can seamlessly switch to a less congested band (such as 6 GHz) without dropping the connection. This is extremely helpful in spaces with busy radio frequency (RF) traffic, such as stadiums, apartments, and offices.

Type of MLO operation modes

Wi-Fi 7 defines several single and multi-radio MLO modes, with stations able to support these modes based on their respective hardware capabilities. Various software thresholds—such as bandwidth requirements, band preferences, RF congestion, and QoS—will influence and guide a station’s choice of operating mode.

Among these modes, MLSR is required to be supported by all AP and non-AP MLDs. Support for EMLSR and STR modes is mandatory for AP MLDs, but optional for non-AP MLDs (stations). STR is currently incorporated by most vendors, making this mode an excellent starting place for dissection.

MLO’s STR mode in action

In STR operation, each link can be used to Tx or Rx concurrent physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) without any synchronization. Figure 2 illustrates an example where an AP MLD and a non-AP MLD are operating over an STR link pair. Both devices contend for access to the wireless medium and engage in subsequent frame exchanges on those links.

After the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD complete a multi-link setup to successfully establish link 1 and link 2, and with the links enabled, AP 2 can receive data frames from STA 2 on link 2. Meanwhile, AP 1 contends for the wireless medium and, upon securing a transmit opportunity (TXOP), transmits data frames to STA 1 on link 1.

Next, let’s conduct a lab test using Cisco’s CW9178 AP running on Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN controller (WLC) to demonstrate STR in action.

The access point under test (APUT) is configured to operate on 2.4 GHz (20 MHz) and 5 GHz (40 MHz) bandwidths with a WPA3-SAE WLAN. In the first step of the test, Wi-Fi 7/802.11be/MLO is enabled on both bands. We are using a Qualcomm 7800-based STR/MLMR-capable station, while the CW9178 AP serves as the sniffer—capable of capturing data across multiple bands and decoding Wi-Fi 7 frames.

Next, let’s associate the STAUT and check the capability details in both the WLC and Wireshark. During the association process, multiple elements are exchanged: the MLO information elements for the 5 GHz Association link, as well as the “Per-STA Profiles” information elements containing details about the non-association link (2 GHz).

The WLC identifies the STA as STR capable if the “Maximum Number of Simultaneous Links” value in the ML information element of the association request is non-zero. This indicates the number of radios the station is using for its association. See Figure 4 below for the corresponding Wireshark capture.

The Catalyst 9800 WLC provides a clear display of the STA’s 802.11be capabilities, including MLD links with Slot IDs and bands, MLO mode support (STR/eMLSR), and Tx/Rx RF and data statistics for each band. Equivalent CLI commands are also available, though not covered in this blog.

Now that the STA has associated on the 5G band with an STR link to both the 5G and 2G bands, let’s initiate traffic for one minute to verify STR operation. Using the IxChariot server, we will begin full-bandwidth Downlink UDP traffic. Initially, traffic will flow only on the 5G band, as it is the only active association link. However, the STA will soon assess the need for a secondary link to achieve higher bandwidth. It will then send a QoS Null data frame over the secondary (2G) link. The AP acknowledges this request and enables simultaneous data transmission across both bands.

Figure 6 shows the sequence starting with data on channel 36, followed by a QoS Null data frame on channel 6, and concluding with simultaneous data transmission on both channel 6 and channel 36.

The Catalyst 9800 WLC offers a comprehensive view of the client’s performance on each MLO link, with monitors providing detailed Tx/Rx data along with RF statistics.

Following the one-minute traffic run, the average throughput measured is 747 Mbps, as shown in Figure 8.

To provide a comparison, the test was repeated under the same conditions, but with 802.11be/MLO disabled, running in 802.11ax mode instead. The average throughput was 506 Mbps.

The table below summarizes the throughput comparison between clients. The impact is indeed transformative: Wi-Fi 7 with STR MLO significantly outperforms Wi-Fi 6, delivering a 47% throughput increase, along with more efficient spectrum utilization.The CW9178, CW9176I, and CW9176D APs, along with 9800 series wireless controllers, will fully support Wi-Fi 7 capabilities and features in the upcoming IOS XE 17.15.2 (currently in Beta) release.

The CW9178, CW9176I, and CW9176D APs, along with 9800 series wireless controllers, will fully support Wi-Fi 7 capabilities and features in the upcoming IOS XE 17.15.2 (currently in Beta) release.

Orange Polska Cements its Position as Poland’s Connectivity Leader in Fibre and Wi-Fi

PARIS, France – 17 February 2025 – SoftAtHome, a leading software provider for broadband and Wi-Fi innovation, proudly announces collaboration with Orange Polska to launch Poland’s first customer-facing Wi-Fi 7-enabled broadband solution. This achievement represents a significant leap in connectivity, empowering Orange Polska to deliver faster, more reliable internet to its customers.

The launch, on January 20^th, of the new improved Funbox 10, powered by SoftAtHome’s advanced solutions, brings Orange Polska’s customers the latest Wi-Fi 7 capabilities. This includes leveraging the 320 MHz channel in the 6 GHz band to double throughput compared to Wi-Fi 6, supporting GPON and XGS-PON, with up to 8 Gbps fibre connections via the latter. This innovation enables Orange Polska to provide exceptional performance for demanding applications like online gaming, 4K streaming, and augmented reality while supporting the growing number of connected devices in modern homes. The availability of eco modes and recycled materials is a step towards more sustainable broadband.

The offer is already available in 39 cities, reaching over 2,5 million homes and businesses.

The tight project timeline—completed in under seven months—demonstrates the agility and innovation of Orange Polska and SoftAtHome’s engineering teams.

Liudmila Climoc, CEO of Orange Polska, commented: “I’m proud to announce that Orange Polska is the first operator in Poland to offer customers a new level of connectivity experience at home, boosted by Wi-Fi 7 wireless technology. This strengthens our position as a leader in connectivity and innovation, providing fast, stable internet that meets the growing demands of our customers.”

Arnaud Bellivier de Prin, CEO of SoftAtHome, added: “We are thrilled to support Orange Polska with the deployment of Poland’s first Wi-Fi 7 broadband solution. This project highlights the strength of our partnership and underscores SoftAtHome’s commitment to innovation. The new Funbox 10 demonstrates how advanced Wi-Fi and fibre technologies can work together to deliver exceptional customer experiences.”

By integrating SoftAtHome’s WiFi’ON and Connect’ON technologies, the new Funbox 10 ensures seamless connectivity, intelligent channel selection, and advanced smart Wi-Fi features to enhance network performance. This launch positions Orange Polska as a leader in next-generation connectivity while reaffirming SoftAtHome’s role as a trusted partner for operators worldwide.

About SoftAtHome

SoftAtHome is an independent software provider with seven critical solutions: broadband (Connect’ON), Wi-Fi (Wifi’ON), security (Secure’ON), smart home (Things’ON), video (Watch’ON), analytics and QoE monitoring (Eyes’ON), and a gateway Appstore environment (Orchestr’ON). SoftAtHome’s solutions power over 30 million connected homes globally, delivering unmatched broadband, Wi-Fi, and smart home experiences. With its focus on energy efficiency and open-source communities like prpl, SoftAtHome continues to innovate for the future of the connected home.

• Airties Cloud now shows visibility of 5G FWA link performance providing unified view of QoE across WAN and LAN networks using Qualcomm® 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platforms 

• Enables FWA operators to observe, diagnose, and fix connectivity issues automatically or through actionable recommendations for 5G broadband home gateways and extenders

• New capability available in Q2 to be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2025

Paris, France – February 6, 2025 –  Airties, a global leader of AI-driven software that improves the home connectivity experience for ISPs, today announced that it will showcase its converged broadband experience platform for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) operators using Qualcomm® 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platforms at Mobile World Congress 2025. This new capability builds upon the recent collaboration previously announced between the two companies, and enables FWA operators to observe, diagnose, and fix their subscribers’ home connectivity issues automatically, or through actionable recommendations, across local (LAN) and wide-area wireless networks (WAN).

Broadband service providers rely upon Airties’ software for the ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience to help reduce churn, attract new customers, lower operating costs, and innovate in new ways. Airties’ broadband experience platform includes Airties Edge; Airties Cloud; Airties Vision App; and Airties Orbit. In addition to home Wi-Fi, Airties Cloud can now provide WAN performance data and insights for FWA operators to determine whether they should take corrective actions for 5G CPE, such as frequency band changes, bandwidth provisioning, or switching base stations. This new capability will be commercially available in Q2 2025, as part of an ongoing collaboration between Airties and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“Fixed wireless operators have been seeking the means to have a unified view into the home broadband experience of their customers, across their local and wide area networks, and that is precisely what we are now showcasing with Qualcomm Technologies,” said Metin Taskin, founder and CEO of Airties. “Customers using our broadband experience platform can now measure and manage end-to-end performance quality across 5G and home Wi-Fi within Airties Cloud. We look forward to demonstrating this enhanced capability with Qualcomm at Mobile World Congress and offering it to FWA service providers around the globe in the weeks ahead.”

“Ensuring a consistent and high-quality broadband experience for end-users is a top priority for all FWA carriers, and our collaboration with software innovators like Airties highlights the advanced managed network capabilities and optimizations Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platforms can help achieve,” said Gautam Sheoran, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Broadband & Communications at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This collaboration represents a significant advancement in providing operators with the tools necessary to ensure seamless connectivity and high performance across both WAN and LAN networks.”

Airties’ AI-driven connectivity experience platform helps ISPs observe, diagnose and fix in-home connectivity issues automatically or through actionable recommendations. By personalizing the customer experience and optimizing home connectivity, it is designed to help improve customer satisfaction and NPS scores. Airties’ data-driven insights, across devices and applications, help ISPs improve performance quality, market effectively, and deliver a premium managed broadband experience to consumers.

Key software solutions include:

1. Airties Edge software for gateways/routers/extenders intelligently directs consumers’ devices (laptops, tablets, phones, game consoles, IoT, smart home devices, etc.) to the best available Wi-Fi access point and frequency band based on real-time network conditions; manages Mesh networking; optimizes QoS; and delivers critical data to Airties Cloud;
2. Airties Cloud helps ISPs observe, diagnose, and fix in-home connectivity issues automatically or through actionable recommendations; delivers insights on connected devices and application performance; and provides APIs to support operators’ CRM systems, customer facing support apps, and Airties Vision App;
3. Airties Vision, a white-label companion app, empowers homeowners to set-up and manage their home networks and set parent controls, prioritizations, guest access, and more; and,
4. Airties Orbit, a continuous test automation platform for broadband service providers, customer premises equipment (CPE) manufacturers, and system-on-chip (SoC) manufacturers to support Wi-Fi integration efforts.

Airties has received many prestigious industry awards for its innovations, including: “Best Home Wi-Fi Solution Award” from Broadband World Forum; “Best Wi-Fi Service Provider Solution” and “Best Home Wi-Fi Product” awards from Wi-Fi NOW; “Best Wi-Fi Innovation” and “Best-In Home Wi-Fi Network” awards from Wireless Broadband Alliance; “Best Broadband Customer Experience” from Cable & Satellite International; and numerous others.

Additional information about Airties can be found at: www.airties.com. Additional information about Qualcomm can be found at www.qualcomm.com. To learn more about Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access platforms, visit link.

About Airties

Airties is a global leader of AI-driven software solutions that improve the home connectivity experience for ISPs to help reduce churn, attract new customers, lower operating costs, and innovate. Leveraging insights from millions of managed homes, Airties provides industry-leading customer experience measurement and optimization for broadband service providers to improve customer satisfaction and NPS scores. Airties’ holistic suite of hardware-agnostic software enables ISPs to manage home connectivity, based on leading industry standards and open-source software, across their fiber, cable/DSL, and fixed wireless access (FWA) deployments. Airties’ customers include leading service providers such as AT&T, Cox, Deutsche Telekom, Telia, Telstra, T-Mobile US, Vodafone, and many others across the world. More information is available at www.airties.com.