Wireless Broadband Alliance calls for ecosystem collaboration and inputs to standardise QoS on Carrier Wi-Fi
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has published a new white paper outlining the need for standardisation and industry collaboration to enable Quality of Service (QoS) on Carrier Wi-Fi.
While Carrier Wi-Fi deployments are on the rise, current industry standards disseminate QoS on variety of different standards what do not facilitate the implementation.
The WBA’s latest paper unfolds the industry path to support QoS on Wi-Fi networks from end-to-end and potentially other unlicensed spectrum technologies, including an overall architecture, security mechanisms, interfaces (APIs) to improve network performance and therefore the end user perceived quality of experience.
Despite the good evolution in recent years of industry standards that allow a device to seamlessly and securely connect to Wi-Fi hotspots broadcasting in unlicensed spectrum, there are still shortcomings around making QoS metrics on Wi-Fi technology.
Therefore, current dissemination of multi-standards will not be sufficient for improved Quality of Experience to the user and do not facilitate implementation; the seamless connection does not insure a quality connection for browsing or maintain a Wi-Fi call and often the user may be forced to switch to a different network.
This white paper addresses these and outlines the importance of industry standards to address the following topics:
- QoS metrics prioritisation so they can be used as a means to communicate the quality of a deployed Wi-Fi venue.
- QoS metrics monitoring in a deployed Wi-Fi network by using standardised mechanisms
- QoS metrics communication to connecting device, allowing the device to learn about the Wi-Fi network before it decides to conn
- QoS Service prioritisation so traffic can be prioritised for an improved quality experience.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) identification and standardisation as commonly agreed by the Operator community.
- Security mechanisms, assuring exchanged information is protected.
Shrikant Shenwai
“Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming a key pillar to deliver wireless services, the ecosystem players, not only Operators but also Cities, Municipalities and Venues, have turned their attention to the need to implement Wi-Fi standards to start addressing Quality of Service delivery according to a set of consensual metrics and KPIs.
WBA members believe this is also a step towards enabling Always Best Connected experience when Wi-Fi and cellular may be at stake to enable the connection. In this context, WBA decided to put together this white paper, and welcome industry partners who want to deliver Quality of Service on Wi-Fi to provide any inputs to the upcoming standardisation work,” said Shrikant Shenwai, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance.
Looking forward on the standardisation steps, WBA will also champion the development of end-to-end QoS trials, leveraging on the vast experience with Next Generation Hotspots (NGH) trials, helping to prove the concept and closing existing gaps to deliver truly QoE to the end user on Wi-Fi and other unlicensed spectrum technologies.
The full white paper, entitled ‘Quality of Service on Carrier Grade Wi-Fi’, is available to download here.
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