Operator Managed Wi-Fi

TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The industry is experiencing a growing need for standards-based architecture in Operator Wi-Fi Residential Broadband, particularly in the implementation of OpenRoaming-Passpoint solutions.

However, the lack of clear guidelines and architectures for residential environments, including MDUs and micro-businesses, is hindering the expansion of OpenRoaming™ and Passpoint®.

Operators can capitalize on opportunities by implementing QoS-based decision-making and security measures. This involves enhancing security and privacy for guest network sharing, addressing Overpass MAC address scenarios, facilitating indoor coverage offload for mobile carrier services, enabling international and national roaming between networks, and implementing advanced analytics and identity provider provisioning.

BUSINESS & MARKET BENEFITS

The huge increase in video-heavy traffic puts new burdens on capabilities that are required of a residential Wi-Fi network. This creates a need for an upgrade of home Wi-Fi networks in order to pass on the increased bandwidth all the way to the various device.

This project helps operators to identify cost-effective features which are critical for ‘operator-managed residential Wi-Fi’ with technical specifications on deploying managed-Wi-Fi networks to meet customers’ growth expectations.

This benefit operators or, equipment & chipset manufacturers, taking a leadership role to collaborate and work with industry standardization bodies to address the needs of industry players for deploying managed residential Wi-Fi networks.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Building upon the use cases analyzed in Phase 1 “Operator Managed Wi-Fi: Reference Architecture and Requirements”, and the second phase:

• This phase will introduce a compliance program featuring an expanded telemetry component and an endorsed testing suite.
• The suite will offer both a self-service test kit and authorized lab testing, providing vendors and service providers with a clear path to OMWi certification.
• Certified organizations will be able to assure customers of consistent, reliable functionality across OMWi-compliant networks, reinforcing OMWi as an industry standard.