The majority of the world is now increasingly getting connected. End user demand for throughput is driving demand for higher capacity to support each person with multiple devices, and the continued automation of homes and businesses. As more people are incorporating connectivity into their daily life, there is a need for higher capacity access networks at home, work and locations in between. Because of its inherent lower labor cost, short installation time and lower equipment cost, wireless will continue to be the technology of choice for network operators as they deploy solutions to deliver higher capacity in the access network.
No one wireless solution will fit the wide array of applications for wireless access. With LTE, 5G, LoRa, Wi-Fi and other systems to choose from, network operators will experiment with multiple solutions to empirically determine the solution that best fits their business. Regardless of the technology selected, each network operator will want a solution that is reliable, easy to deploy, easy to manage and has a low total cost of ownership.
- Gigabit to the Home and Desktop – Millimeter wave and mesh technology in 5G architectures will prove that the last 20 kilometers of the access network can be reliably covered with wireless technology for both service providers and enterprise private network operators.
- Proactive Capacity in the Network – To meet the demand for capacity enterprise and service provider network operators will be able to add capacity on demand at the edge of the network to satisfy end customer needs. Both enterprise and Service Provider operators will leverage network monitoring information and intelligent predictive algorithms to identify bottlenecks and proactively take action to maximize availability and quality of service.
- Convergence of LAN/WAN – Wireless LAN and WAN speeds are reaching a point that eliminates the need for wires in the last 15 to 20 kilometers. Fixed wireless will continue to be demonstrated as a viable alternative to fixed broadband as an initial use case for 5G. With a fiber backbone, wireless communications will be the technology of choice for distribution and access.
- Less Resources to Manage the Network – Network operators will leverage “plug and play” solutions that can be rapidly deployed to meet requirements without the need for time-consuming planning, provisioning, installation and troubleshooting. This “Zero-IT” approach will foster networks that have a higher level of automatic management and are self-propelling.
- High Quality yet Affordable Technology – Regardless of the technology and standard, network operators will select the best solution that delivers high satisfaction at a total cost of ownership that supports the business plan. Innovations in Massive MIMO algorithms and standards along with off the shelf silicon advances will drive cost-effective wireless Gibibit networks for a variety of specific applications.
Cambium Networks continues to invest in delivering affordable yet compelling quality wireless connectivity solutions that meet the coming capacity needs. Our teams are working closely with service providers and enterprise network operators to automate provisioning and provide cloud-based, end-to-end monitoring to maximize end user satisfaction and provide low total cost of ownership.