FROM THE INDUSTRY
call to run some Wi-Fi health-checks and see if anything can be done to improve their experience. E.g. offering mesh units to improve coverage, or a simple channel-change to avoid interference from encroaching neighbouring networks, could be the difference between retaining a customers’ loyalty or losing them to a competitor offering a shiny new router. For service providers who choose to wait and give the Wi-Fi 7 market time to mature, they will see that product vendors will spend the next year or so refining their Wi-Fi 7 portfolio (and firmware stability). This will have the knock-on effect of improving overall product reliability and quality, as well as allowing time for further Wi-Fi capabilities to be introduced. Ultimately, choosing not to jump-in early is likely to stand the ISP in good-stead. Helping to minimise the risk of deploying ‘bleeding-edge’ tech that an ‘early- adopter’ would generally carry and pass- on to their end-users. Integrating Wi-Fi into a Winning Package Simply offering the latest-and-greatest Wi- Fi technology without considering other factors is unlikely to lead to longer-term subscriber retention or profitability. Service providers should really keep in mind that Wi-Fi performance is just one of many factors that subscribers look-for in a broadband service. Speed, reliability, ease of use, and excellent customer support are equally important. Adopting Wi-Fi 7 should form part of a broader strategy designed to take advantage of the latest technology evolutions to support exciting new services. Of course, Calix has Wi-Fi 7 systems in the roadmap for 2024. The new standard will be fully integrated with SmartLife managed services and supported by the Calix end-to-end broadband platform. We’re not rushing it out, though. A fully managed Wi-Fi 7 package will enable service providers to differentiate in the market and target those high- bandwidth users with premium service offerings. For the UK’s Alt Nets this could mean providing tailored services to specific market segments, such as small businesses, gamers, or home- office workers. Those subscribers not in immediate need of enhanced Wi-Fi may be better-off waiting for prices to
The case for Wi-Fi 7 adoption now: “Sure, Wi-Fi 7 has some valid use- cases and should be offered right- now!” People will always want the latest gadgets and connectivity, and if you offer it to them, your brand can be seen as a technology leader. Being the first-to- market with the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology is also an exciting prospect. In the enterprise sector, the higher bandwidth, throughput, and lower latency offered by Wi-Fi 7 could also add value. This could mean providing better coverage and capacity at a public venue such as a sports stadium, or improved connectivity within an industrial IoT setting. There are definitely current use- cases where choosing Wi-Fi 7 now will benefit and future-proof the performance of high-density, manufacturing, and educational environments. But this really concerns enterprise-grade Wi-Fi, rather than residential and small businesses who lean more toward lower numbers of users, and smaller budgets. The case for biding your time: “Implementing Wi-Fi 7 right now is not essential”: For the average residential subscriber (even those with 30+ connected devices), existing Wi-Fi 6 technology is likely to be sufficient to meet their requirements for a time yet. Some high-bandwidth users do exist of course - gamers, online FOREX traders, streamers and videographers, large households, or those experimenting with the very latest consumer tech such as 8K and AR/VR are some examples. Can these customers be served with an existing Wi-Fi 6 router with multi-gig WAN capability, or offering lower-latency peering for gamers perhaps? Those ‘in- the-know’ subscribers will understand the benefit and value of such offerings. Later- on you can combine this with a stepped- upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router and boom – you are differentiating yourself from the competition with a monster-offering that doesn’t boil down to just being a simplistic Wi-Fi radio upgrade. And let’s not forget that a well-designed and executed Wi-Fi 6 network could give them what they currently need. You could support those intensive Wi-Fi users, with a cursory look at their households’ existing bandwidth usage, and offer a
fall and mass-market adoption to arrive. Developing the insights to accurately understand subscriber trends and expectations is key to getting this balance right. As we progress through 2024, the increasing number of connected devices and the need for ever-higher bandwidth will drive demand for high-performance Wi-Fi, which will spur adoption of Wi-Fi 7. But suffice to say, pervasive adoption of the very latest Wi-Fi standard is a marathon, not a sprint, so use the opportunity to take a measured approach. Why panic and jump now, just for fear of missing out?
www.calix.com
MARCH 2024 Volume 46 No.1
73
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