Infonetics Research: Carrier WiFi Equipment Market Exploding to $2.1 billion by 2016

Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its new Carrier WiFi Equipment market share, market size, and forecast report, which tracks carrier-class mobile WiFi access points, carrier-class WiFi hotspot access points, WiFi hotspot controllers, and the vendors who manufacture them.

ANALYST NOTE

"Our many recent conversations with mobile operators and equipment vendors validate our view that mobile operators are hot for hotspots,” notes Richard Webb, directing analyst for microwave, mobile offload, and mobile broadband devices at Infonetics Research. “The carrier WiFi equipment market has grown consistently since 2007, initially driven by exploding demand from mobile operators augmenting their 3G and 4G deployments with WiFi hotspot services. The strongest new growth driver is mobile operators deploying carrier WiFi to offload a portion of their mobile data traffic. Additionally, fixed-line operators and ISPs continue to deploy WiFi to extend existing WiFi hotspot services, cable and DSL operators use WiFi as an enhancement for their broadband services, and many operators will soon be upgrading their existing access points to new WiFi standards, such as the forthcoming 802.11ac protocol.”

CARRIER WIFI EQUIPMENT MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

• Global revenue for carrier WiFi equipment -- including mobile WiFi access points, WiFi hotspot access points, and WiFi hotspot controllers -- grew 35% in 2011 from 2010
• Mobile WiFi access points are expected to experience the highest compound annual growth rate -- 86% -- through 2016 as mobile operators seek a closer integration of WiFi with the mobile network
• Infonetics forecasts the global carrier WiFi equipment market to grow in the high double-digit percents annually at least through 2016, when it will hit $2.1 billion
• BelAir Networks (recently acquired by Ericsson), Cisco, and Ruckus Wireless together account for more than two-thirds of 2011 global carrier WiFi equipment revenue
• Infonetics anticipates new players will enter the market, disrupting early market share standings, and, with growing demand for WiFi integrated base stations from mobile operators, carrier WiFi market share could shift toward the mobile infrastructure vendors

REPORT SYNOPSIS

Infonetics’ Carrier WiFi Equipment report is a new service that tracks the market for WiFi equipment deployed by operators in public spaces for wireless Internet access. The report covers carrier-class mobile WiFi access points, carrier-class WiFi hotspot access points, and WiFi hotspot controllers (not consumer WiFi CPE or enterprise wireless LAN equipment). The report provides market analysis, market trends, carrier WiFi equipment vendor market share, market size, and forecasts by revenue and units. The report also includes carrier WiFi vendor announcements and customer wins and a Mobile Operator WiFi Offload Strategies Tracker. Vendors tracked include 4ipnet, Airspan, Alcatel-Lucent, Alvarion, CeedTec, Cisco, Edgewater Wireless, Ericsson (BelAir Networks), Gemtek, GoNet, Handlink, HP, Huawei, Motorola, Nomadix, Proxim, RFNet, Ruckus Wireless, Shyam Networks, Strix Systems, Tranzeo, Tropos, Ubiquiti Networks, UniFi, Vivato, Wavion, and others. Contact Infonetics' Sales to buy report: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED SMALL CELLS AND CARRIER WIFI RESEARCH

• Latest Infonetics small cells and carrier WiFi research brief: http://bit.ly/IReOdO
• Mobile operators ramp WiFi deployments for data offload, seek to integrate WiFi
• Small cell market to hit 3 million units in 2016, driven by urban area capacity upgrades
• Femtocell market up 22% in the fourth quarter, Samsung leapfrogs Airvana
• Operators turn to femtocells to improve enterprise coverage and capacity
• Adoption of small cells / public space femtocells reflects a mobile world in transition
• Small cell survey shows operators plan to run 12% of network capacity on small cells by 2012
• New study details operator plans for small cell backhaul

UPCOMING REPORTS

• Download Infonetics’ 2012 Research Publication Calendar: http://bit.ly/zwjcRs
• Femtocell Equipment Market Share and Forecasts
• Small Cell Equipment Market Size and Forecasts
• Small Cell Coverage Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey
• Residential Femtocell Service Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT SALES:

N. America (West), Asia, Latin America: Larry Howard, larry@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3335

N. America (East), Texas, Midwest: Scott Coyne, scott@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3395

Europe, Middle East, Africa: George Stojsavljevic, george@infonetics.com, +44-755-488-1623

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively.

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