With mobile video projected to be 71% of all mobile data traffic by 2016, coverage is an ever-increasing challenge, said Cisco’s Murali Nemani in an interview with RCR Wireless News ahead of Mobile World Congress. “Cisco is using licensed and unlicensed spectrum to complement 3G and 4G investments, because carriers must have an alternative to address mobile traffic growth,” he said.
Follow RCR Wireless News – Americas on Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to our free periodic newsletters
During the Barcelona show, Cisco unveiled an end-to-end Wi-Fi infrastructure solution to deliver next-generation hot-spots (NGH), embedding Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA)-approved NGH technologies within its end-to-end service provider Wi-Fi solution to enable cellular-like roaming for Wi-Fi networks. The company has also announced the availability of a small cell gateway for operators to manage subscriber and service information, integrating 2G/3G/4G LTE (licensed) networks with Wi-Fi/femtocell (unlicensed) networks to deliver seamless experiences across multiple heterogeneous access networks.
>>> Listen to Murali Nemani’s interview.
“For the next generation mobile traffic, capacity and spectrum are big challenges. In developed markets, such as the US and Europe, spectrum is running out. By the end of 2030, they will be out of spectrum, so they need to find alternatives. In emerging markets, the problem is different, because there is spectrum.”
The company sees a huge potential in these solutions since Wi-Fi continues be a primary source for mobile Internet, which continuous to grow. Cisco aims to eliminate barriers when moving from 3G and 4G to Wi-Fi hot-spots. Indeed, with video driving mobile Internet, indoor coverage is becoming more important.
Cisco expects this technology to help operators address capacity constraints from spectrum limitations; scale coverage effectively; deliver seamless experiences across heterogeneous access networks; save on capital and operational costs, and facilitate the continuing explosion in mobile traffic, devices and new services.
