Data consumers can expect more Carrier WiFi Hotspots in the near term, as the sales of Carrier Wi-Fi access points continue to increase. According to ABI research,Carrier Wi-Fi access point shipments in 2018 are expected to reach 9.7 million with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for 70% of that number. With the demand for more data and the adoption of smart mobile devices across various subscriber groups, especially the digital natives, Wi-Fi Hotspots are expected to grow and handle an increasing amount of data traffic. ABI Research reports that the Cable Operators in the U.S have deployed a very successful model where five of the biggest cable operators in the country including Bright House Networks, Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, and Time Warner Cable have joined hands to operate more than 150,000 hotspots. The entry of the cable operators into the Wi-Fi scene is an interesting development in the wireless market and may set a new trend throughout the world. The Wi-Fi space can present extra challenges for mobile Operators who have to offer their subscribers seamless roaming between various Wi-Fi hotspots and the cellular network.
“While it is a great marketing strategy allowing Cable operators to retain their customers and enhance the service, Cable WiFi also shows that monetization is a possibility for roaming,” commented Ahmed Ali, research analyst at ABI Research.“The significant improvements in Wi-Fi capacity and data rates make adopting Wi-Fi solutions, in general, more appealing to operators. Seamless access to high data rate Wi-Fi is helping to shape user expectations and behavior in the cellular network creating a traffic onload effect counter to offload benefits,” continued Ali.
