IHS Sees Big Growth in MIMO Wi-Fi for Cellular Offload

Wireless network operators are turning to multiple in-multiple out (MIMO) Wi-Fi technology to cope with a “deluge of data traffic generated by smartphones,” according to a report from IHS Technology.

Employing multiple antennae at wireless networks’ transmitter and receiver ends, wireless carriers are using next-generation 802.11 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi equipment to offload cellular traffic and enhance network throughput. With worldwide unit shipments of smartphones having surpassed 1 billion in 2013 and expected to nearly double to 1.9 billion in 2018, IHS sees “massive” opportunity for growth in the MIMO Wi-Fi market given the early state of adoption. Furthermore, IHS notes in a company press release, “96 percent of all mobile handsets in 2018 will support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.”