Wireless Broadband Alliance CTO Bruno Tomas was recently invited to the offices of new WBA member LG U+, where he was honoured to sit down for an interview with Jeongmin Noh, Home Infra Device Development Team Leader. There was also an opportunity to experiment with latest innovation from LG U+ Home Service Development Lab, led by Daewon Song, Vice President @ LG U+ R&D.
Onboarding has always been a key focus area in the residential space. Can you share more information about the QR code onboarding disruption from LG U+?
People need to find the attached SSID and password of the router to use WiFi at home. However, WiFi routers are often installed in hidden places like the corner of the living room or behind the TV, making it difficult to find. Connecting to WiFi with a smartphone requires inputting the identification value (SSID) and password attached to the WiFi router, which can be a difficult and frustrating task if the small print contains special characters. Recently released smartphones can easily connect to WiFi by taking a picture of the QR code that holds the WiFi information. Recently, some restaurants and public places print WiFi QR codes and stick them on walls.
We considered a solution that easily provides a QR code at home and thought of showing the QR code on the home TV. TV is a display device that can be easily used by anyone, and we thought it was possible because we also provide our customers with WiFi internet and IPTV services. We developed a function that safely provides the information of the WiFi router to the set-top box and displays on the TV screen.
LG U+ provides various set-top box for IPTV services. We applied this feature to the majority UHD2/3/4 or sound bar (speaker) type box. Customers using Wi-Fi 6 routers can view QR codes on TV screens by pressing “options” on the set-top remote control and entering the “View Wi-Fi Information” menu. LG U+ plans to gradually expand the set-top subject to the QR code connection function.
The customer demand for data continues to grow at an exponential rate. Can you please share more information about your combined EasyMesh R2 – Giga WiFi6 Router solution and how it caters to the needs of your customers?
WiFi has a limited wireless output (power), which can cause shaded areas when used at home. Recently, the issue of WiFi shaded areas has been addressed by setting up a mesh network using multiple routers in the home. LG U+ applies the latest WiFi technology and improves RF performance in its routers by default. LG U+ also offers small, fancy-designed mesh routers as products to enable easy mesh network setup in the home. To enhance the WiFi service quality even after connecting to the mesh network, delicate management of the mesh network is required. To address this, we reviewed WiFi EasyMesh technology, developed a prototype, and verified its potential. We then became the first in Korea to offer the EasyMesh R2 technology on a WiFi 6 router to our customers.
With this technology, even if multiple routers are installed in the home, the initial SSID can be used without requiring a separate configuration process. Users can easily use it as if one router provides broad wireless coverage. In addition, it provides fast handover to enable uninterrupted data service even when moving around with a smartphone or tablet at home. It also offers load balancing to prevent a slowdown in connection speed due to multiple WiFi devices being connected to one router.
Can you give us a preview of LG U+’s future plans for home networking & WiFi?
LG U+’s main priority is to reduce customer inconvenience and improve service quality for home WiFi. To achieve this, we are analyzing the latest technologies for WiFi and finding ways to provide customers with valuable offerings through proof of concept (PoC). Additionally, we collect data to see if these services are effective in real customer environments and provide personalized services through intelligent analysis. LG U+ is providing high-quality wireless media services through WiFi technology. LG U+ was the first in Korea to offer a tablet-based portable IPTV service called “tvFree” and last year, through collaboration with Google, included OTT and LGU+’s IPTV services in Chromecast. We are also continuously researching ways to provide high-quality media services using WiFi in the future.
What led LG U+ to become a member of the WBA, and how do you believe that our organization can help your company?
The WBA and LG U+ share similar objectives. We want to provide better WiFi to many more people than now. WBA has a variety of experts who research WiFi as well as service providers like us. In addition, there are various working groups in each field, so I think we can get help through these activities, and we can also help. We reflect the latest Wi-Fi technology trends through WBA’s WG. Also, if given the opportunity, we will introduce our competitive service and customer application cases. Through this, we will continue to make efforts to create a smooth environment for WiFi and broadband services.
Visit LG U+’s official website to learn more about the company.
WBA will continue to drive Next Generation Wi-Fi programs for the residential market and deliver its proposed Managed Wi-Fi Architecture standard for the industry. Click here to learn more.
