Accuris Networks is looking forward – into 2016. The tech industry is consumed with the newest ‘new thing’, yet once in a while, we need to pause and start to make some money from what we’ve already developed.
With that in mind, here are some predictions on what 2016 holds for Carrier Wi-Fi:
#1: WI-FI REMAINS THE ELEPHANT IN THE MOBILE ROOM, PARTICULARLY FOR OFFLOAD.
The elephant in the room, the big, lurking thing people are ignoring, remains to be Wi-Fi particularly for smartphones.
Over the holidays, my daughter binge-watched a season and a half of Grey’s Anatomy, and my son polished off a season of The Flash – roughly 50 episodes, or 2,500 minutes of HD TV. Depending on who you ask, that’s between 40 and 100 gb of data – dramatically more than the 10 gb/month plan we have from Verizon Wireless.
In our increasingly video-centric world, Wi-Fi is a critical tool for giving people a mobile experience without drowning the mobile data network. Giving mobile providers control and visibility to how their customers use Wi-Fi on smartphones is a key pillar of Accuris Networks’ Wi-Fi Offload strategy.
Steve Shaw,
Vice President Marketing,
Accuris Networks
#2: 2016 IS THE YEAR WI-FI ROAMING FOR MOBILE TAKES OFF
In the last year, Accuris has seen several major mobile operators embrace Wi-Fi as part of their mobile roaming strategy. Adding Wi-Fi to mobile roaming has been shown to increase usage and revenues. Look for service providers to launch new roaming service plans which include Wi-Fi.
#3: WI-FI CALLING REMAINS THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS COVERAGE PROBLEMS
2016 Trends and Outlook Polls
Mobile coverage continues to improve, but it’s still not perfect for everyone or everywhere. Enter Wi-Fi Calling, the ability to deliver primary voice and messaging services to customers over the Wi-Fi already in homes and offices. Accuris’ enhanced Data Gateway (eDGW) product is designed to enable Wi-Fi Calling on any IMS/VoLTE infrastructure in a matter of days. Suddenly the world’s Wi-Fi access points become mini cell towers for mobile services.
#4: PEOPLE ARE DISCRIMINATING WITH WI-FI – PROVING THAT QOE IS IMPORTANT
The ubiquity of Wi-Fi has taught consumers that not all Wi-Fi is created equal. People expect Wi-Fi to be fast – high through-put, low latency. But every smartphone user can attest to being connected to a dismal Wi-Fi network, and forcing their smartphone back to LTE (or 3G). In 2016, we’ll see service providers expand to deliver what their customers expect – a high quality of experience (QoE), regardless of the network in use.
#5: THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR A WI-FI MARKET PLACE
A marketplace brings the buyers and sellers of a particular good or service together to facilitate commerce. Demand for Wi-Fi is high and continues to grow, while venues and locations continue to add capacity. In 2016, we’re likely to see the rise of a marketplace for Wi-Fi goods and services.
About The Author:
Steve Shaw is the vice president of marketing for Accuris Networks Wi-Fi/mobile integration solutions. Previously Steve led SDN/NFV marketing to the service provider segment for Juniper Networks and was the vice president of corporate marketing for Kineto Wireless. A frequent speaker, blogger and general evangelist for mobile services over IP, Steve has more than 20 years experience in product, marketing, and business development roles with telecommunications companies.
