By Claus Hetting, Wi-Fi NOW CEO & Chairman
EE releases Qualcomm-powered Wi-Fi 7 Smart Hub Pro router and extender
EE – the home broadband & mobile services business unit of BT Consumer – this week released the company’s first Wi-Fi 7-capable router and booster, both powered by Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 7 Networking Pro platform. To our knowledge EE is also the first nationwide UK operator to launch a Wi-Fi 7 service. According to GB News, ‘neither Sky nor BT or TalkTalk can currently match EE’s new Wi-Fi 7 offering.’
EE says the new Smart Hub Pro (gateway) and Smart Wi-Fi pro (extender) will be available ‘with select EE Full Fibre packages’ (1.6 Gbps plans) and also as an add-on to other plans. EE says the gateway and extender together will deliver at least 100 Mbps to every room in the house and offers a money-back guarantee if the service should fall short. Also see the EE’s Wi-Fi 7 intro video below.
Dell’Oro: Enterprise WLAN market shows signs of recovery
A new report by Dell’Oro now says the enterprise WLAN market actually grew quarter-on-quarter from 1Q to 2Q this year, driven by Wi-Fi 7 adoption, although large volumes of Wi-Fi 6E equipment were also sold. Remarkably Huawei shipped over half the world’s Wi-Fi 7 units, Dell’Oro says, while Juniper/Mist climbing three positions in the market leader table. Dell’Oro says there will be a gradual recovery of revenues towards second half of this year and into 2025. More details can be found here.
Dell’Oro: Fiber & fixed wireless CPEs spending trending upward
Meanwhile the situation is somewhat similar in the broadband access and home networking segment, Dell’Oro says, with the market starting a gradual recovery from a three-year slump, with sales of fixed wireless CPEs growing a whopping 32% in 2Q2024 year-on-year. Spending on residential (consumer) Wi-Fi routers grew 13% year-on-year (for 2Q2024) as consumers are ‘likely upgrading units and mesh systems purchased during the pandemic,” Dell’Oro says. More details here.
NETGEAR Business & Samsung team up to improve Wi-Fi 7 roaming
NETGEAR Business says it has teamed up with Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business to ensure seamless roaming and excellent interoperability between NETGEAR Business Wi-Fi networks and Samsung Wi-Fi 7 clients. NETGEAR says that Wi-Fi roaming – meaning devices connecting successfully to different APs on various floors or across a campus area as the user moves around – is a significant pain point in that users can experience lag. “It’s in our mutual best interest for users to experience all of the high performance, low latency benefits of the technology with our products, and smooth roaming is essential to that experience,” says Harsha Nagaraju, senior director of engineering for NETGEAR Business.
CommScope Ruckus releases new Pro AV networking solution
This week CommScope / RUCKUS announced a new networking solution for both fixed and wireless connectivity supporting professional AV applications. The RUCKUS Pro AV portfolio includes support for AV standards and ecosystem including NDI, DANTE, QSYS, AES65, Crestron, and SONOS, CommScope says. The solution includes AV-enhanced enterprise-class Wi-Fi 6 and 7 access points (APs), AV-enhanced enterprise-class ICX® switches with ready to go smart AV Profiles, and cloud-based remote management services for AV MSPs, CommScope says. Read more here.
NYC commuters now offered Wi-Fi from Time Square to Grand Central Station
For the first time a full New York City subway line will offer uninterrupted Wi-Fi services to commuters. The solution is provided by Boldyn Networks. Watch the news report below.
/Claus.
