Several technology and wireless spectrum developments are on the horizon to help MSOs, and all ISPs, meet the unique needs of wireless video and other growing network demands. This paper reviews these developments and the effect they are likely to have. In the technology space, advances in standards and network optimization techniques will advance network performance and make Wi-Fi more useful for consumers.
In addition, new wireless spectrum availability will help to facilitate these advances, and will enable additional capacity and frequency diversity for expanding Wi-Fi use cases.
The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of emerging technologies and new wireless frequencies that may aid Wi-Fi video delivery, how these advances will improve the end-user experience, and what is needed to realize this future vision. We explore how a typical consumer may tangibly benefit from these advances through use cases representing a ‘day in the life’ progression of Wi-Fi video activity. We do not endeavor a complete technical guide to the implementation of relevant advances in light of their broad scope; rather, our intent is to provide a window into what video over Wi-Fi may look like in the near future.