CAMPBELL, Calif., May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Experts has released a new Carrier Wi-Fi Report, illustrating the convergence of Wi-Fi networks with mobile and cable networks to create heterogeneous networks (HetNets).

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According to Dr. Jacob Sharony, Senior Analyst at Mobile Experts, "New technology will move quickly in Carrier Wi-Fi.  We anticipate very rapid adoption of 802.11ac technology by operators, which will drive 5 GHz radios in handsets.  Mobile data will be offloaded quickly onto Wi-Fi, creating a need for new controller architectures and network integration software for interoperability with mobile networks."

Joe Madden, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts explained, "Wi-Fi is much cheaper than LTE in terms of cost per bit delivered.   Some mobile operators are investing heavily in Wi-Fi to take advantage of rapid deployment and very low cost.   As the small cell market matures, we are tracking multiple projects that combine small cells and Wi-Fi, with interesting combinations in DAS networks and other variations as well.    This study illustrates the complexity of a heterogeneous network in terms of combined radio nodes, changes in the user devices, and changes to the core network and controller architectures to make everything play together.   Our approach in this study was to scour the Wi-Fi market from one end to the other, to make sure that we had a complete view.    In the end, we see a clear path to a run rate of 5 million APs per year".

This report creates a roadmap of how the Carrier Wi-Fi market will evolve in tandem with mobile networks:

• Phase 0 involves disjointed networks, with very little connection between Carrier Wi-Fi networks and mobile networks.
• Phase 1 comes into play with Hotspot 2.0 (Next Generation Hotspot), in which SIM authentication becomes a standard feature.
• Phase 2 improves the billing, policy control, and interoperability of Carrier Wi-Fi networks; and
• Phase 3 introduces advanced network intelligence to optimize the use of multiple air interface modes based on location, context, application, user status, and network conditions.

This market study includes more than 60 charts and tables, including 5-year forecasts for:

• Access points, with breakouts by standard, by indoor/outdoor, and by integration with DAS and small cells;
• Controllers and the evolution to cloud controllers and network integration;
• User devices and adoption of multi-band Wi-Fi, including 802.11ac, 802.11ad, and 802.11ah;
• Chipset trends in UE and in APs;
• Software for authentication, integration, and network intelligence;
• Market Shares for each market segment  

About Mobile Experts LLC:

Mobile Experts provides insightful market analysis for the mobile infrastructure and mobile handset markets.    Research topics center on technology introduction for radio frequency (RF) and communications innovation.   Recent publications focus on Small Cells,  Macro Base Station Transceivers, MIMO, Semiconductors for Small Cells, Backhaul for Small Cells, DAS, and Handset RF Front Ends.

Contact:
Rachel Lorraine
Mobile Experts LLC
Email
+1 (408) 540-7284

www.mobile-experts.net

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SOURCE Mobile Experts LLC