Webscale and transmission network operators' interests are aligning as the 5G era dawns
Caught in the hetnet
- Alcatel-Lucent showcased its lightRadio Wi-Fi solution, which builds on the compan's next-gen lightRadio architecture and promises cellcos a way to enable customers to "switch automatically from a cellular service to residential or public Wi-Fi networks and hotspots without having to login, worry about payments schemes, or even be aware of the shift."
- Nokia Siemens Networks unveiled Flexi Zone - based on its next-gen Liquid Radio architecture - in which multiple, inter-connected low-power small cells (which can be HSPA, LTE and Wi-Fi) use a common pool of resources managed flexibly by a "zone controller". Result: local offloading of internet traffic based on coverage and capacity needs, "saving up to 80% of transport and mobile packet core costs".
- Cisco announced two new enhancements to its mobile infrastructure portfolio: small-cell (i.e. Wi-Fi/femtocell) gateway functionality on its ASR5000 platform, and Wi-Fi access points for service providers compliant with the new Hotspot 2.0 specification established by the Wi-Fi Alliance (more on that later).
The common thread is Wi-Fi integration, which is arguably the top challenge cellcos face in the hetnet paradigm.
"The need for small cells as a capacity enhancement and data offload tool is well understood," said Peter Jarich, service director with Current Analysis, in a research note. "What is not as frequently discussed is the need for holistic small-cell solutions including licensed spectrum and Wi-Fi assets along with common transport and control backed by deployment and business consulting insights."
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5G and data center-friendly network architectures
Matt Walker / MTN Consulting
Webscale and transmission network operators' interests are aligning as the 5G era dawns
The launch of 5G by South Korean operators serves as a first benchmark for other operators around the world