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Today, Wi-Fi is ubiquitous and is considered a utility in many different parts of the world. It has become the de facto way to connect TVs, audio speakers, security cameras, and more smart devices in our homes. Most of us don’t even give it a second thought as our smartphones and tablets switch from cellular to Wi-Fi when we enter the garage, providing seamless connectivity and faster speeds. However, more support is being provided as Wi-Fi technology has become an integral part of the outdoor communications infrastructure.
Outdoor Wi-Fi use cases include hotspots, backhaul, and fixed wireless access (FWA) applications. This outdoor renaissance is accelerating, in part due to new advances in the transition to Wi-Fi 6, which will bring higher spectral efficiency and better performance in dense environments such as public places. Wi-Fi 6 brings features such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), commonly used to implement cellular 4G/LTE, to the unlicensed spectrum. This allows multiple clients to be addressed in the same channel at the same time. In addition, uplink and downlink MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple input, multiple output) capabilities support multiple users across different spatial streams. Another factor that helps deployment is the inherent characteristics of the 5 GHz band. It is subject to less interference, has directional antennas, and can be used to provide point-to-point links and backhaul.
Hotspots are becoming more common outdoors as service providers and venues seek to expand Wi-Fi coverage. There are multiple business factors driving these deployments. In some cases, operators may not have licensed spectrum but are offering mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) services to their broadband subscribers. In this case, there is a business incentive to get their customers to offload to their own Wi-Fi hotspots as quickly as possible. Another reason is limited LTE spectrum or capacity. In this case, the service provider may use a small cell and Wi-Fi offload network topology to maximize coverage while minimizing capital expenditures. However, another driver is the pressure on stadiums and concert halls today to get fans/fans to actually get into the stadium seats instead of watching the game on a connected screen at home without the hassles of crowds and parking.
Selling tickets to these events also adds high-margin ancillary revenue from food, beverage and merchandise deals. Here, providing Wi-Fi coverage enables fans/fans to interact in real time on social media and enhance the experience by providing instant replay or different viewing angles. For all of the above outdoor installations, Wi-Fi is an economical choice due to the technology's enhancements in high-density coverage and capacity. It is also a scalable and mass-market approach, offering industrial-range solutions with IP67 element protection.
Backhaul support is key to connecting these outdoor hotspots to the core network, and 5GHz Wi-Fi point-to-point (P2P) solutions are one way to provide the backbone of this network. This enables more robust outdoor services. Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer solutions for this market, with cost points ranging from $100 to $1,000, depending on the bandwidth and distance covered. In addition to enabling access points, network planners also use this 5GHz backhaul solution to connect buildings together and provide interconnection for remote closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage in agricultural/dairy applications. These 5 GHz backhaul links are also being actively deployed by wireless network service providers ISPs (WISPS) to provide point-to-multipoint (P2MP) Internet connections for rural markets in emerging regions.
Fixed wireless access solutions complement the above backhaul products and services to provide wireless broadband connectivity. Companies across a wide spectrum are investing in fixed wireless access (FWA); large telecom operators moving towards 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) solutions can all start with proprietary algorithms. Governments are also investing funds to help reduce the connectivity gap, along with venture capitalists. With the arrival of Wi-Fi 6, OEMs and new-age ISPs are taking full advantage of 8X8 MIMO chipsets, using different RF and antenna technologies to achieve gigabit performance. In many cases, these Wi-Fi-based solutions are more flexible and cost-optimized than licensed band products. The same Wi-Fi chipset type can be used for FWA proprietary gigabit solutions to connect to the base station and then also used to provide 8x8 home gateways. This allows OEMs to monetize their R&D investments through the public Wi-Fi platform for two sets of products in a software reuse manner. Combined product volume also means ensuring better pricing. Finally, FWA solutions also have the advantage of faster time to market than developing fiber.
Wi-Fi has long been the best connectivity solution for the home and office, and by leveraging its new capacity, performance, and ruggedness, it is quickly becoming the best connectivity solution for the outdoors as well.
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