WiFi Service has become even more ubiquitous than cellular services. At the end of 2016 mobile data traffic offloaded to WiFi network services exceeded mobile data traffic on cellular services.[1] Providing a WiFi NaaS in multi-tenant buildings is particularly problematic due to the density of users, building structures and the demographic makeup of the residents for carriers other than Spot On Networks.
Millennials and Gen X’ers utilize more mobile data capacity than other segments of the population and generally make up the majority of residents in multi-tenant buildings. As mobile devices have proliferated, these residents have begun to utilize mobile video streaming services instead of the standard linear video programming found on cable networks. These Over the Top (“OTT”) applications, in conjunction with more advanced chip sets in mobile devices has led to greater demand for mobile services especially at home.
Newer buildings with Low Emission Glass and concrete and steel structures are more likely to have poor cellular services, whether 4G or 5G, within the building. WiFi has become the primary connection option for residents of these buildings. The density of users within these building requires WiFi access points with much higher capacity than those in a single family home or hot spot.
Access points are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the WiFi NaaS. Back-end architecture and monitoring need to be in place to ensure Quality of Experience (QOE), security and reliability.
WiFi Reliability has become increasingly important as more data traverses these networks. With OTT video streaming applications becoming increasingly popular, deploying a WiFi NaaS with increased redundancy and the elimination of interference due to other nearby access points becomes critical.
No longer is “best efforts” good enough for large multi-tenant buildings, especially when the WiFi NaaS is being used for streaming video and voice services. SON’s patented Tessellated Grid Design offers a unique approach to multi-tenant buildings. By deploying this patented design, the WiFi NaaS is characterized by reduced radio frequency interference, thus improving connectability, capacity and speeds, and by coverage redundancy for each apartment, thus increasing reliability.
For voice services, Quality of Service (QOS) implementation establishing voice packet prioritization, and “handoff” (connecting from one access point to another) controlled by the back end network architecture provides superior quality service for residents, thus obviating the need for a more expensive in building cellular augmentation solution. Seamless handoff across all of the access points in the NaaS is a necessity in a multi-tenant building as a resident moves from apartment home to corridor to amenity area.
WiFi security is a major issue in dense environments. A triple level of security is required to ensure prevention of hacking and privacy invasion. Not only are user codes and passwords required, but encryption of those codes reduces the possibility of user code capture. Furthermore, with Spot On Networks’ (SON) patented UserSafe® technology platform, client isolation is implemented across all network elements, preventing hackers from seeing or “sniffing” other user devices. If devices cannot be seen or “sniffed” they cannot be hacked, thus increasing the level of security significantly.
A managed WiFi NaaS, with proactive network monitoring and a 24/7 HelpDesk, resolves issues before they are apparent to the resident, and offers a service to residents who have issues obtaining network connection. Network analytics, a part of the monitoring function, provides building owners with the knowledge of how much and by who data is being used. In conjunction with the improved performance offered by its Tessellated Grid Design and the security of its UserSafe® technology platform, SON’s WiFi NaaS offers unique capabilities for the multi-tenant building not available from any wired internet service provider.
[1] Cisco Visual Networking Index – 2/7/17
