Wireless Ops Eye WiFi Offload to Expand Capacity

According to a survey from the Wireless Broadband Alliance, tier 1 mobile operators expect 22% of all additional data capacity added during 2013-2014 to come from WiFi offload. By 2018, WiFi offload is predicted to contribute 20% of additional mobile data capacity; a further 21% is expected to come from small cells with integrated WiFi. Data offload is expected to account for an average of 20% of data traffic, up to 80% in densely populated areas such as transport hubs and cafes. Within homes and businesses, offload levels are 50% to 60%.