Why carrier Wi-Fi will make the mobile market more competitive

Progress in the creation of standards is laying the foundation for a carrier Wi-Fi market that will be worth nearly $8 billion by 2019, ABI Research predicted.

Cisco and Ruckus Wireless are the leading equipment vendors in these early days, and Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Nokia are also vying for a piece of the pie. “More than 12” Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) networks are active worldwide, according to ABI, and Asia-Pacific has more installed hotspots than any other geographic market.