INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The advent of 5G and smart city applications is driving the market for carrier Wi-Fi products, with the market expected to be worth $3.5
billion over the next four years.By 2022, IHS Markit predicts sales will have reached $725 million a year as fixed and mobile operators
deploy Wi-Fi and dual mode (Wi-Fi and cellular) access points to densify their infrastructure.Carrier-grade Wi-Fi will help operators cope
with the anticipated growth in data by allowing them to offload traffic onto fixed networks in busy locations such as city centres or
mean that Wi-Fi will continue to play a strong support role for mobile broadband end-users and for newer applications such as the Internet
points, which will help facilitate visions of converged networks, which do not distinguish between fixed, wireless and cellular
networks.Last week, BT offered some more details about its vision for convergence, while Vodafone hopes to acquire a number of cable
networks in Europe from Liberty Global for the same purpose.Another trend noticed by analysts is the continued penetration of network
function virtualisation (NFV), which could deliver numerous benefits for fixed and mobile operators such as reduced power consumption thanks
