LAS VEGAS – The CTIA Super Mobility show was heavily-laden with “5G”-related technology, news, speculation and the like. As we move toward the next-generation of mobile networks, Derek Peterson, CTO for Boingo Wireless, discussed how Wi-Fi fits into the mix.
If you’re not already familiar with Boingo, pay attention the next time you’re in an airport; the company has that space locked up.
As for 5G: “Nobody has really defined 5G yet. To me, 5G is about convergence. It’s about converging all the different network [technologies]. What we’re dealing with, is we’re dealing with venues and locations that are vastly different. You come to a large location like this and you’ve got a lot of people in a very dense area. That’s Wi-Fi. If you want high-speed in a dense environment, there’s a place for Wi-Fi. When you start talking about mobility, and you’re talking long distances, LTE starts playing. You’ve really got to recognize that you need all of it. It’s not about one versus the other.”
Peterson explained that based on current trajectory, something has to happen network-wise to support demand. He framed it as a spectrum deficit.
“There’s a 2,000 megahertz problem and we have 900 megahertz available to us,” Peterson said. “We’re still short 1,100 megahertz so convergence has to happen. In addition to that…we’ve got to get more spectrum.”
Peterson also took a moment to discuss LTE-Unlicensed, which hasn’t been commercially deployed, but essentially runs cellular through the same unlicensed spectrum that Wi-Fi uses. Proponents say it’ll make for a better customer experience and more efficient use of resources while detractors say LTE could interfere with Wi-Fi if sharing the same spectrum.
Boingo is very interested in keeping a close eye on LTE-U … that really provides convergence of LTE and unlicensed spectrum. We’re anxiously hoping to find a technological solution that allows that true convergence to happen.
