By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
Cisco deploys one of the largest ever Wi-Fi 7 higher education networks for Georgetown University
Cisco has announced a multi-year partnership with Georgetown University of Washington DC to provide networking and advanced wireless connectivity to students and staff. Included in the deal is modernisation of the university’s wireless network with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi 7 services “across the university’s classrooms, dorms, stadiums and beyond, positioning Georgetown at the forefront of wireless innovation in higher education as a pioneer of one of the largest-ever deployments of Wi-Fi 7 at a university,” Cisco says in a press release here. Importantly, the new Wi-Fi 7 deployment will make full use of the 6 GHz band. “The high-speed, low-latency network means data can be shared, analysed, and stored securely from anywhere on campus, enabling groundbreaking discoveries without delay,” Cisco says. We will cover the new Georgetown Wi-Fi 7 network in more detail shortly.
Enterprise Wi-Fi 7 adoption unusually fast, says Dell’Oro Group
Enterprises are adopting Wi-Fi 7 technology at a rate not seen since the olden days of Wi-Fi 4, says Dell’Oro Research Director Siân Morgan in a recently published report. “Enterprise purchases of Wi-Fi 7 have shot up since early 2025. All major vendors have full portfolios of the new technology, and the price is unusually low. Low prices may not continue for long however, if component shortages, caused by the AI boom, begin to cause problems for Wi-Fi vendors,” Siân Morgan says. Adoption is expected to peak in 2029 at 90% adoption. Read more here and don’t miss Siân Morgan speaking at WWC Mountain View on April 15.
Dutch railway operator NS selects Publicroam for seamless Wi-Fi access
Publicroam last week signed a deal with Dutch railway operator NS to connect thousands of NS employees at its offices, maintenance sites, and at 83 railway stations. “This additional Publicroam Wi-Fi network offers a simple login process and minimal risk of wireless interception or data leaks. As a result, private devices and personal data also remain safe during day-to-day use,” the company says. In addition, Publicroam has been made available to the general public in locations where travellers stay longer, such as in waiting rooms. In order to access the Wi-Fi service, users only need to register once for free, after which devices will connect automatically at all participating locations. Publicroam offers simple, autoconnect-connect Wi-Fi services to any venue via simple Wi-Fi network integration to Publicroam’s backend authentication infrastructure. For more about Publicroam read here.
Nepal’s WorldLink launches Wi-Fi 6 services
This happened in November but we missed it – so here it comes: WorldLink – a WiFi NOW Affordable Connectivity Award finalist – has launched Nepal’s first Wi-Fi 6 service. “Wi-Fi 6 represents a decisive step toward a smarter, faster, and more digital lifestyle in Nepal,” said Dilip Agrawal, chairman and managing director of WorldLink. During the launch event, the company also announced its new packages and pricing plans for Wi-Fi 6 services. WorldLink – a private corporation founded by CEO Dilip Agrawal – continues to do an exceptional job in delivering broadband connectivity to a diverse population scattered across one of the most challenging terrains on the planet.
Plume appoints Rebecca Stone formerly of Cisco as CMO
Plume continues to expand and revamp its executive team, mostly recently through the appointment of Rebecca Stone as Chief Marketing Officer. Stone most recently served as Senior Vice President of Revenue Marketing and Customer Solutions Marketing at Cisco, responsible for media, integrated marketing, campaign planning, content marketing and operations, and demand marketing for Cisco’s $50B networking portfolio, Plume says in a press release here. “At Plume, Stone will help Plume deepen engagement with ISP customers while clearly articulating the value of the company’s expanding capabilities around intelligent Wi-Fi management, telemetry and analytics, cybersecurity, and customer care,” the company says. Plume is a long-time WiFi NOW Partner and frequent speaker at Wi-Fi World Congress events.
24% of Japanese consumers considering leaving ISP because of poor quality
Japan is often associated with high-quality technology products – but perhaps that image doesn’t fully apply to home broadband services provided by ISPs. A new survey commissioned by Airties has found that 24% of Japanese home broadband subscribers are considering switching to another ISP because of connectivity quality issues. Airties says that up to 60% of potential churn in Japan could be avoided by investing in better quality, features, and customer support independent of the pricing of broadband services. Airties also says that 44% of the market would be interested in paying for a smart Wi-Fi service that would guarantee coverage and automatically fix issues. Read more about the survey here.
/Claus.
