Tips and Tricks for a Winning Wi-Fi 7 Deployment Strategy

Wi-Fi 7 is the dawn of a new era. It’s already emerging as the new Wi-Fi standard and being incorporated into the latest consumer and enterprise devices, including those from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Motorola.
 

But how do broadband service providers (BSPs) implement Wi-Fi 7? It starts with identifying use cases that support today’s subscriber needs and interests, then developing a winning strategy that is simple to understand and implement, and leveraging a consistent, software-defined platform approach.

Wi-Fi 7 Consumer and Business Use Cases

Wi-Fi 7 is a game-changer that will take your Wi-Fi performance to the extreme, empowering you to deliver unparalleled subscriber experiences and unlock new markets and revenue streams. With enhanced features and faster speeds, Wi-Fi 7 unlocks new use cases across consumer, small business, and enterprise segments.
 

Consumers will benefit from:

• Ultra-fast streaming for 8K and higher video without buffering
  
  
• Immersive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences for gaming, training, and remote collaboration
  
  
• A more extensive range of smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices with greater range, efficiency, and reduced power consumption—including extended Wi-Fi

Business and enterprise use cases include:

• Multi-dwelling unit (MDU) deployments with significantly improved Wi-Fi quality of experience (QoE)
  
  
• Remote healthcare with instant video and data transmission for telemedicine
  
  
• Real-time monitoring and control of systems and processes in industrial settings (such as manufacturing)
  
  
• Providing secure connectivity for municipal services such as traffic control systems, public safety networks, and environmental monitoring

As it continues to gain traction, Wi-Fi 7 will open lucrative new markets for bandwidth-intensive broadband services that depend on higher-capacity, higher-performance, seamless wireless connectivity.

4 Considerations To Develop a Wi-Fi 7 Strategy

Adopting Wi-Fi 7 should be part of a broader strategy to take advantage of the latest technologies to deliver and support exciting new managed services that address the needs and interests of your subscriber base.
 

There are four business imperatives to consider when developing your integrated Wi-Fi 7 strategy:

• End-to-end seamless cloud management. Wi-Fi 7 needs cloud-based management to enable tight integration, centralized control, enhanced analytics and monitoring, quality of experience (QoE) assurances, proactive support, and real-time subscriber and marketing insights.
  
  
• Simplified service installation. Establish best practices associated with installation and service turn-up to minimize cost. Verify coverage, capacity, and performance during installation to reduce or eliminate repeat visits from field technicians.
  
  
• Harmonious activation and turn-up experience. Cloud-based solutions allow BSPs to manage and centrally configure Wi-Fi 7 networks across multiple locations, including remotely configuring SSIDs, security protocols, and firmware updates.
  
  
• Success teams. As with any significant technology upgrade, a successful Wi-Fi 7 strategy should include external partners you can rely on for expert support, guidance, and regulatory compliance.

A Platform Approach to Deploying Wi-Fi 7

Deploying Wi-Fi 7 begins with a platform-based approach to service delivery that is flexible, resilient, and secure, seamlessly integrates new technologies, delivers managed services faster and easier, and scales cost-effectively as your subscriber base and business grows. A platform ensures the underlying network runs at peak performance and the Wi-Fi connectivity is optimized within the subscriber’s premises. Using a software-enabled broadband platform means BSPs can quickly, seamlessly, and consistently deploy intelligent Wi-Fi 7 systems to subscribers by using cloud-based solutions to monitor performance, troubleshoot, and optimize the subscriber experience.
 

The Calix Broadband Platform empowers BSPs with a revolutionary network and management foundation that provides everything you need to grow revenue and reduce costs. Understanding and improving network, service, and subscriber performance enables you to lower expenses, eliminate guesswork, and simplify introducing new services and Wi-Fi technologies.
 

Download our eBook to learn more, “Operationalizing Wi-Fi 7: Strategies for Seamless Deployment and Management.”