Consumer Needs and Expectations for Home Wi-Fi Fundamentally Altered
Post-Pandemic According to New Airties Survey  

Market_trends

Consumer Needs and Expectations for Home Wi-Fi Fundamentally Altered
Post-Pandemic According to New Airties Survey  

Market_trends

Summary 

Consumers value home Wi-Fi more than ever and 80% would prefer in-home Wi-Fi gear be provided as a service by their broadband operator rather than purchased through retail   

39% of respondents said they were reimbursed by their employer for new Wi-Fi gear they purchased and 32% had their broadband subscription subsidized by their employer

71% of consumers expect to continue working from home post-pandemic and a majority would consider upgrading to a faster tier of Internet service if bundled with whole-home Smart Wi-Fi

More than 33 million homes are now managed by Airties Cloud globally with an average of 19.6 connected devices per home  


ISTANBUL – September 2, 2021 – With the rise in remote working and learning, 58% of respondents across the U.S., U.K. and Germany said they encountered more home Wi-Fi issues than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and a remarkable 55% said they had daily issues with their home Wi-Fi, according to a recent survey* commissioned by Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally. Consumers also strongly prefer their broadband operator take the lead in ensuring a quality Wi-Fi experience, with 80% saying they would rather their broadband subscription included home Wi-Fi networking gear instead of purchasing it themselves through retail.

The survey of 1,525 respondents across the U.S., U.K and Germany, who either had to work or learn from home over the past year, illustrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed consumers’ expectations for home Wi-Fi. Unsurprisingly, 90% of people said they are using their home Wi-Fi more now than ever, with, at the top end of the scale, almost half of Americans (48%) using their Wi-Fi for an additional 7-10+ hours per day, compared to 21% of Germans and 36% of Brits. As people sought out quieter places to work or study, the survey found that 65% were using Wi-Fi in unusual places in their homes, such as garages, attics, and patios. This correlates with the 56% who said they have areas in their home where Wi-Fi does not work well, and demonstrates a significant market need for whole-home Wi-Fi solutions.

“During this unprecedented time, people have come to rely on and value their home Wi-Fi more than ever,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “We have crossed an inflection point where home Wi-Fi is as vital as electricity for sustaining our way of life –keeping us productive, informed, entertained, and connected. Even as many countries begin opening more, reliance on home Wi-Fi has forever changed. Trends like the ‘enterprisation’ of the home, remote learning and telemedicine are here to stay, and with that comes significant opportunities and challenges for broadband operators around the globe.”

Implications for Broadband Operators 

According to the survey, 85% of respondents said they value or rely upon their home Wi-Fi more now than before the pandemic, and an encouraging 75% overall indicated that their broadband operator responded well during the pandemic. Nonetheless, 63% said they called to complain about their Wi-Fi and 27% of those respondents said their broadband operator had to organize a technician visit to their home. Of those who did not call to complain, more than a quarter were “silent sufferers” who said they would have liked to call their broadband operator to help fix their Wi-Fi issues but did not because of the time and effort it would require. A disconcerting 49% of respondents said they considered switching broadband operators due to Wi-Fi issues during the pandemic.

Despite these troubling indicators, there were several positive findings for broadband operators. In addition to the 80% preference for broadband operators to include home Wi-Fi gear as part of their broadband service, 58% of consumers said they would consider upgrading to a faster tier of Internet service if their broadband operator offered a premium Wi-Fi system that guaranteed both faster and consistent Wi-Fi in every room of their home. Of those who would consider upgrading, 70% said they would be willing to pay at least $5/€5/£5 extra for faster and consistent Wi-Fi in every room of their home. Notably, 86% expect the fastest Internet package to come equipped with a whole-home Wi-Fi system that would guarantee coverage in every room.

Another key finding could inform new Smart Wi-Fi business models for broadband operators aimed at employers. 39% of respondents said they were reimbursed by their employer for new Wi-Fi gear they purchased during the pandemic, and 32% of respondents said their broadband subscription was subsidized by their employer. There is also a high level of interest for additional services, such as advanced security. Of those not already paying for it, 36% would be willing to pay extra for advanced security, and the remaining 64% expect it to be included as part of their broadband package.

All these details and more, including the geographical breakdown and additional indicators on device and app usage are available from Airties in this report

New Airties Cloud Usage Statistics

In addition to the survey results, Airties also disclosed today that it now actively manages more than 33 million homes globally through the Airties Cloud platform. Airties Cloud orchestrates Wi-Fi across millions of homes, optimizing operator gateways and extenders in real time to ensure a better quality of experience for consumers. Airties Cloud provides insights on the millions of users and their connected devices. It also allows operators to address the evolving needs of consumers, such as cyber security, through a suite of digital services. 

On a daily basis, Airties Cloud now supports more than 646 million actively connected devices, and cumulatively, in excess of 1.2 billion unique devices have been managed by Airties Cloud. Currently, there are an average of 19.6 connected devices per home. The mix of devices across homes is notable, with, on average for Wi-Fi connected devices; 16% are Wi-Fi 6 (11ax); 44% are Wi-Fi 5 (11ac); 39% are Wi-Fi 4 (11n); and 1% are older legacy devices (11g or earlier). This split shows how rapidly the new generation of Wi-Fi is penetrating the installed base while co-existing with legacy devices. This complexity requires a fully managed solution and deep expertise to ensure optimal performance for all devices and applications, such as Airties provides to operators today.

More information about Airties can be found at: www.airties.com.   

Consumer Expectations for Home Wi-Fi - Report

* Survey on Wi-Fi during COVID-19 pandemic from 1,575 respondents across the U.S. (525), UK (525) and Germany (525), who either worked or studied from home, commissioned by Airties in Q2 2021, and conducted by Qualtrics.

About Airties


Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. Airties Smart Wi-Fi portfolio includes Airties Edge, smart Wi-Fi software for gateways; Airties Cloud, a cloud-based management platform and its companion app, Airties Vision; and Wi-Fi mesh extenders. Operators turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. Some of Airties’ customers include Altice USA, AT&T, Singtel, Sky, Telia, Telstra, Vodafone, and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com

Press Contacts for Airties



Airties Appoints
Nicolas Fortineau
as Chief Marketing Officer

News

Airties Appoints
Nicolas Fortineau
as Chief Marketing Officer

News

Summary 

Former Liberty Global executive to oversee global go-to-market strategy  


ISTANBUL – July 8, 2021 – Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, today announced that it has appointed Nicolas Fortineau as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.

“We are very proud to have Nicolas Fortineau join our senior leadership team,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “Our mission is to empower service providers to deliver the best managed Wi-Fi experience for their customers, and Nicolas’ unique expertise will help us further deliver on that commitment. He brings a global operator’s perspective, extensive knowledge on the evolution of the connected home, and the ability to articulate a customer-centric vision. We look forward to what he will bring to our team, customers, and partners.”

Connectivity is an essential part of daily life, and I am excited to join a company that is so relentlessly dedicated to helping operators improve the way people connect, work, play, and learn.

Nicolas Fortineau, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Airties

“Connectivity is an essential part of daily life, and I am excited to join a company that is so relentlessly dedicated to helping operators improve the way people connect, work, play, and learn,” said Nicolas Fortineau, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Airties. “We are living through a profound transformation of users’ connectivity behaviours. It offers broadband operators a unique opportunity to satisfy those with a best-in-class user experience fuelled by innovation. Airties has always been recognized as the gold standard for operators seeking the best possible connectivity experience, and I am excited about playing my part to help continue and enhance that legacy of success and innovation.” 

Mr. Fortineau will oversee Airties’ global marketing efforts including product marketing vision and go-to-market strategy. Prior to joining Airties, he spent more than a decade at Liberty Global, most recently serving as Product Director of Connectivity Platforms, where he oversaw their product development efforts for in-home connectivity across seven countries for both residential and SoHo customers. In this role, he led development efforts across networks, CPE, cloud services and data insights – leveraging the best of technology such as Wi-Fi, 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence to help improve the lives of consumers. Mr. Fortineau previously served as head of product development for Liberty Global’s Wi-Fi product portfolio and ran operations throughout Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Africa during his career. He will report to Philippe Alcaras.

Airties’ technologies have been deployed by dozens of leading service providers across 4 different continents, and Airties Cloud actively manages more than 25 million homes. Airties was named the 2020 “Best Home Wi-Fi Solution” as part of the prestigious Broadband World Forum Awards. More information about Airties can be found at: www.airties.com.   

About Airties


Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. Airties Smart Wi-Fi portfolio includes Airties Edge, smart Wi-Fi software for gateways; Airties Cloud, a cloud-based management platform and its companion app, Airties Vision; and Wi-Fi mesh extenders. Operators turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. Some of Airties’ customers include Altice USA, AT&T, Singtel, Sky, Telia, Telstra, Vodafone, and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com

Press Contacts for Airties



WBA OpenRoaming™ Primed for Residential Rollout Following Successful Wi-Fi 6 Trial with Airties Over In-Home Wi-Fi

News

WBA OpenRoaming™ Primed for Residential Rollout Following Successful Wi-Fi 6 Trial with Airties Over In-Home Wi-Fi

News

Summary

Successful trial seamlessly onboarded Wi-Fi client devices to residential Wi-Fi 6 access points with WBA OpenRoaming and moves to deployment phase


London, June 24th 2021 – The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) today announced the world’s first completion of a successful proof-of-concept trial to automatically onboard Wi-Fi client devices to a residential Wi-Fi 6 network, paving the way for the rollout of WBA OpenRoaming across in-home Wi-Fi and wide-area wireless broadband networks. 

The trial, which was carried out by leading smart Wi-Fi solutions provider and WBA member, Airties, was carried out in two phases. The first, which covered OpenRoaming settlement-free access, was carried out using Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S21 devices. Once the functionality had been enabled on these devices, they were able to automatically connect to the residential guest network using the Google and Samsung account IDs of their owners, instead of having to enter credentials manually.

The second phase demonstrated seamless access to the same residential Wi-Fi network by using a third-party Single Digits ID after first downloading and installing a Wi-Fi profile on the aforementioned mobile phones. As part of the trial, Airties closely monitored and optimized the quality of experience (QoE) to ensure the best possible device performance for users. 

The success of this trial means operators will now be able to ensure their subscribers are able to access the internet seamlessly and securely – without having to enter and re-enter login credentials – bridging the gap between cellular and Wi-Fi while maintaining full control of their privacy. A key differentiator for the OpenRoaming standard is that it is not impacted by MAC address rotation within user devices.

“Our successful completion of this trial with WBA OpenRoaming is a major step forward for frictionless residential Wi-Fi access. For cellular service providers, it will facilitate more seamless and secure mobile offloading, aimed at reducing their network costs and enhancing Internet coverage for their subscribers.

Metin Taskin, CTO of Airties

Metin Taskin, CTO of Airties, commented, “Our successful completion of this trial with WBA OpenRoaming is a major step forward for frictionless residential Wi-Fi access. For cellular service providers, it will facilitate more seamless and secure mobile offloading, aimed at reducing their network costs and enhancing Internet coverage for their subscribers. For consumers, it removes the hassle of entering login credentials as their devices roam securely between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. WBA continues to be a major driving force in the evolution of wireless broadband, and Airties is proud of our deep and ongoing collaboration to serve operators across the globe.”

Our collaboration with Airties demonstrates Single Digits’ role as an OpenRoaming Broker and is part of an ongoing effort to quantify Quality of Experience for our carrier off-load and venue partners, giving them confidence in their subscriber’s connected experience to Passpoint networks.

Blaz Vavpetic, CTO of Single Digits

Blaz Vavpetic, CTO of Single Digits, added: “Our collaboration with Airties demonstrates Single Digits’ role as an OpenRoaming Broker and is part of an ongoing effort to quantify Quality of Experience for our carrier off-load and venue partners, giving them confidence in their subscriber’s connected experience to Passpoint networks.”

Specially, the trial took place in Paris, France and Istanbul, Turkey, and involved connecting Airties’ Air 4960 APs and Airties’ cloud proxy servers to the OpenRoaming network. Airties’ collaboration with WBA relied on Airties’ Edge software and Airties Cloud to measure and report on the connected devices, ensuring the QoE was not adversely impacted as the frictionless handover between cellular and OpenRoaming access points was achieved.   

WBA OpenRoaming is driving seamless Wi-Fi roaming and the convergence of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. We’re beginning to see entire market segments to open themselves up to the possibilities that lie ahead due to WBA OpenRoaming.

Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of WBA

Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of WBA, commented: “WBA OpenRoaming is driving seamless Wi-Fi roaming and the convergence of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. We’re beginning to see entire market segments to open themselves up to the possibilities that lie ahead due to WBA OpenRoaming. Thanks to Airties, these trials have proved another important piece of the importance of OpenRoaming for residential market and bring us one step closer to bridging the gap between Wi-Fi and cellular for a truly connected world.”

Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA)’s press release can be found at: https://wballiance.com/wba-openroaming-primed-for-residential-rollout-following-successful-wi-fi-6-trial-with-airties-over-in-home-wi-fi/

About the Wireless Broadband Alliance


Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives. Founded in 2003, the vision of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is to drive seamless, interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. WBA’s mission is to enable collaboration between service providers, technology companies, cities, regulators and organizations to achieve that vision. WBA’s membership is comprised of major operators, identity providers and leading technology companies across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision.

WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical issues, as well as opportunities, for member companies. WBA work areas include standards development, industry guidelines, trials, certification and advocacy. Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, OpenRoaming, 5G, IoT, Testing & Interoperability and Policy & Regulatory Affairs, with member-led Work Groups dedicated to resolving standards and technical issues to promote end-to-end services and accelerate business opportunities.

The WBA Board includes Airties, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Broadcom, BT, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom AG, GlobalReach Technology, Google, Intel, Reliance Jio, SK Telecom and Viasat.  For the complete list of current WBA members, click here.

Follow Wireless Broadband Alliance: 

About Airties


Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. Some of Airties’ customers include Altice USA, AT&T, Singtel, Sky, Telia, Telstra, and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com

Press Contacts for Airties



Airties Deploys
Wi-Fi EasyMesh™ Solutions with Broadband Operators

News

Airties Deploys
Wi-Fi EasyMesh™ Solutions with Broadband Operators

News

Summary

Airties Smart Wi-Fi integrates with the second release of Wi-Fi EasyMesh delivering operator-grade capabilities and faster time to market for ISPs

Enables ISPs to seamlessly manage multi-vendor deployments of Wi-Fi gateways and extenders with increased Smart Wi-Fi functionality, control, and performance management across homes


ISTANBUL – May 19, 2021 – Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi® solutions to service providers globally, today announced its Smart Wi-Fi solutions now run on the latest Wi-Fi EasyMesh™ software and provide operator-grade capabilities and faster time to market for ISPs seeking to benefit from Wi-Fi EasyMesh for their managed home Wi-Fi deployments. Airties also disclosed that it has multiple Wi-Fi EasyMesh deployments underway with leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs) around the globe.   

Wi-Fi EasyMesh, developed through Wi-Fi Alliance®, provides a standardized communication layer and data model for home networks that utilize Wi-Fi gateways and Wi-Fi extenders. With this common technology architecture in place, ISPs then need fully compatible Smart Wi-Fi software to deliver diagnostics and additional performance enhancements, such as advanced steering, channel optimization, zero-touch installation, and remote home Wi-Fi management. ISPs also need the flexibility to manage both legacy and Wi-Fi EasyMesh extenders in a unified way, since up until now only new (mostly Wi-Fi 6) extenders are available with Wi-Fi EasyMesh. Airties’ Wi-Fi EasyMesh solutions were designed to meet these needs and provide a flexible software platform to support multi-vendor deployments. 

Airties’ software enabled the world’s first service provider deployment of Wi-Fi EasyMesh with Telstra in Australia. Since that time, the company has created versatile new solutions that combines the benefits of standards-based Wi-Fi EasyMesh architecture, with the added functionality and control provided by Airties Edge software and Airties Cloud. Service providers can now deploy Airties’ software to upgrade existing gateways from third-party suppliers to both manage and enhance the performance of Wi-Fi EasyMesh gateways and extenders. They can also purchase new Wi-Fi EasyMesh extenders, supporting Wi-Fi 6, from Airties. 

Wi-Fi EasyMesh brings a standards-based approach to networks with multiple access points, and provides the foundation on which companies, such as Airties, can innovate and provide important value-added services.

Edgar Figueroa, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance®

Edgar Figueroa, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance® stated, “Wi-Fi Alliance is fortunate to have members like Airties who are helping to drive the development of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED EasyMesh™ and enable service providers to deliver smart, efficient Wi-Fi through customers’ and outdoor spaces. Wi-Fi EasyMesh brings a standards-based approach to networks with multiple access points, and provides the foundation on which companies, such as Airties, can innovate and provide important value-added services.”

While each deployment is unique, more service providers are seeking the kind of interoperability that Wi-Fi EasyMesh provides, coupled with Airties’ hybrid cloud-edge software architecture to maximize the responsiveness, performance, and control of their subscribers’ home Wi-Fi experience.

Metin Taskin, CTO of Airties

“We are actively working with several leading service providers around the globe to incorporate Wi-Fi EasyMesh into their current and future home Wi-Fi plans,” said Metin Taskin, CTO of Airties. “While each deployment is unique, more service providers are seeking the kind of interoperability that Wi-Fi EasyMesh provides, coupled with Airties’ hybrid cloud-edge software architecture to maximize the responsiveness, performance, and control of their subscribers’ home Wi-Fi experience. Notably, our new Wi-Fi EasyMesh solutions should enable dramatically faster time to market for operators by reducing the bespoke integration efforts typically needed across OEMs, chipsets, and software. It also provides the value-added capabilities that they require to deliver a managed home Wi-Fi experience for their subscribers.” 

Taskin continued, “While Airties is often regarded as the pioneer in home Wi-Fi Mesh technology, we have also been advocating for basic levels of standardization for years and working actively with the Wi-Fi Alliance to make it happen. With certain core functionality now able to work consistently across chipsets and OEMs, it enables us to focus more efforts on the advanced Smart Wi-Fi and cloud management capabilities that really make a difference to our customers.” 

Value-Added Wi-Fi EasyMesh Enhancements for Gateways  

Airties’ Wi-Fi EasyMesh controller functionality is included in Airties Edge software which is compatible across chipsets and gateway manufacturers, making it faster and easier for service providers to deploy operator-grade Wi-Fi EasyMesh into the field. For third-party gateways, Airties hybrid cloud-edge solution of Airties Edge and Airties Cloud can be deployed as a single firmware upgrade to legacy devices in the field. Key benefits of Airties software solution include:

  • Enhanced band/client steering and roaming to improve performance;
  • Advanced Wi-Fi channel management and backhaul optimization;
  • Easy on-boarding of extenders with zero-touch activation;
  • Pre-integration with Airties’ secure, GDPR-compliant management platform to optimize subscribers’ home Wi-Fi networks, and provide remote diagnostics, troubleshooting, and proactive recommendations to improve performance; and
  • Pre-integration with Airties Vision App that helps guide consumers through extender set up and placement, parental controls, enhanced security, and more.

Airties’ Air4960 Wi-Fi EasyMesh Extender

For ISPs that want an off-the-shelf, Wi-Fi EasyMesh-enabled extender to provide customers, Airties also offers the Air4960 Wi-Fi 6 extender. The extender includes Wi-Fi EasyMesh plus Airties Edge software capabilities. Notably, it also includes unique quality of service (QoS) features that can prioritize video packets, necessary for service providers planning to deliver IPTV over Wi-Fi. Airties’ Wi-Fi 6 extenders provide support for an ever-increasing density of connected devices, delivering lower latency, enhanced battery life for IoT devices, and reduced interference from neighbouring Wi-Fi networks compared to previous generation extenders. With a particularly compact industrial design (4.2 cm x 10.3 cm x 11.5 cm), these extenders are easily placed anywhere in the home.

Airties’ technologies have been deployed by dozens of leading service providers across 4 different continents, and Airties Cloud actively manages more than 25 million homes. Airties was named the “Best Home Wi-Fi Solution” as part of the prestigious 2020 Broadband World Forum Awards. More information about Airties can be found at: www.Airties.com

About Airties


Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. Some of Airties’ customers include Altice USA, AT&T, Singtel, Sky, Telia, Telstra, and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com

Press Contacts for Airties



Airties Cloud Surpasses
25 Million Homes for
Managed Wi-Fi

News

Airties Cloud Surpasses
25 Million Homes for
Managed Wi-Fi

News

Summary

Service providers adopting Airties Cloud to enhance Wi-Fi experience for subscribers

Airties to share insights from Airties Cloud at Broadband World Forum


ISTANBUL – October 13, 2020 At Broadband World ForumAirties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, today announced that more than 25 million homes are now managed by Airties Cloud. Service providers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia rely on Airties Cloud to monitor, manage, and optimize home Wi-Fi performance. 

“Home Wi-Fi is more essential than ever in today’s world, and Internet service providers play the central role in keeping us all connected and productive,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “At Airties, our mission is to empower service providers to deliver the best managed Wi-Fi experience for their customers. We recently surpassed a major milestone with more than 25 million homes managed by Airties Cloud and expect that to double in the next few years, as service providers around the world focus even more on enhancing the end-to-end broadband experience.”

We recently surpassed a major milestone with more than 25 million homes managed by Airties Cloud and expect that to double in the next few years, as service providers around the world focus even more on enhancing the end-to-end broadband experience.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO, Airties

Alcaras continued, “Each service provider is unique, and they require flexible, secure, and scalable Smart Wi-Fi solutions to support the rise in remote working and learning, telehealth, home entertainment, and super-connected homes. Our portfolio is flexible to meet their different needs, with hardware agnostic Smart Wi-Fi software, Airties Cloud platform, extenders, expert Wi-Fi professional services – and a dedication to ongoing support and product innovation.”

Airties Cloud is a secure, GDPR-compliant Wi-Fi management platform that continuously optimizes each individual home network and gives service providers real-time visibility into their subscribers’ Wi-Fi performance, allowing remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. It enables operators to examine performance across individual homes, regional clusters, or an entire installed base, and provides a unique “Wi-Fi Experience Index” to help operators better serve their customers. It provides predictive resolutions of Wi-Fi issues, reducing the need for technician visits, and proactively identifies homes in need of broadband upgrades, additional extenders, or device upgrades. Airties Cloud also fully integrates with operators’ existing management systems through secure APIs to support customer care, network operations and installation teams, and customer marketing departments.

Analysis from Airties Cloud

Recently, Airties published a research paper for service providers entitled “The Catalyst Effect: Understanding the Impact of Lockdown on Residential Wi-Fi and Future Implications”. The research relied on real-world, anonymized insights from Airties Cloud, examining the impact on Wi-Fi usage during lockdown and beyond, and the important implications for the future of Internet service providers. Among the findings, research found that when under pressure, home Wi-Fi performance does not worsen in a linear fashion correlated with increased usage, but rather that it deteriorates in an exponential way. Overall, during lockdown, users’ quality of experience (QoE) deteriorated by 160%, with peaks reaching 200%, relative to the increase in Wi-Fi usage and activity. This “catalyst effect” remains prevalent in the post-lock down period as well, and the paper outlines the potential impact and remedies for service providers. The findings will be one of the topics discussed by Airties’ executives at the upcoming Broadband World Forum virtual event.

On October 13, Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties, will speak on the session: “Managing the Software of the Connected Home to Deliver Better Customer Experience.” On October 15, Bart Vercammen, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Airties’ software product line, will speak on the session: Customer Experience in Peak Demand – the ‘New’ Normal. Registration information is available at https://tmt.knect365.com/bbwf/. Additional information about Airties can be found at www.airties.com.

About Airties


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and Mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. With an installed base of over 30 million homes, Airties’ customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.airties.com.

Press Contacts for Airties:



F-Secure and Airties To Unite Service Providers’ Favorite Security and Smart Wi-Fi Solutions

Partnerships

F-Secure and Airties To Unite Service Providers’ Favorite Security and Smart Wi-Fi Solutions

Partnerships

Summary

Companies announce new strategic collaboration to enhance security and home Wi-Fi management for Internet service providers  

Integrated offering will combine Airties’ Managed Wi-Fi and F-Secure SENSE router security for a fast, safe, and unified connected home experience that customers want


Helsinki, Finland – July 31, 2020: Cyber security provider F-Secure, and Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, have agreed on a new collaboration to offer their best-in-breed solutions to Internet service providers.

The joint solution will bring together the leader of Smart Wi-Fi and the leading security choice of service providers to manage and enhance Wi-Fi connections and secure the connected home. Specifically, it will combine Airties’ home Wi-Fi management capabilities with F-Secure SENSE router security to improve Wi-Fi performance in the home and provide enhanced protection and parental controls that safeguard the entire family from malicious web content, hacking, spyware, phishing, and threats to unsecured devices.

We’re thrilled by this new strategic collaboration that simply and beautifully weaves together the best Wi-Fi solution with the best connected home security

Kristian Järnefelt, Executive Vice President, Consumer Security at F-Secure

“We’re thrilled by this new strategic collaboration that simply and beautifully weaves together the best Wi-Fi solution with the best connected home security,” said Kristian Järnefelt, Executive Vice President, Consumer Security at F-Secure. “Some service providers want the best-in-class solution but have challenges delivering the services separately. Their stated wish is that they could combine the two. And thanks to our collaboration with Airties, they can easily offer the best of both worlds, without being locked into any one proprietary system.”

A recent F-Secure survey found that 83% of consumers said that good Wi-Fi coverage and the speed of the connection are important or very important when it comes to selecting a Wi-Fi router.1 The next highest consideration is internet security on the router that protects all devices in the home, which 74% of consumers described as important or very important.

By integrating F-Secure SENSE with our software, we will provide exceptional home Wi-Fi performance that can also tackle various threats that can slow down or incapacitate the connected devices in consumers’ homes.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties

“Reliable, fast, Wi-Fi creates loyal consumers,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “Consumers also want to know that their home networks are secure, and they’re trusting service providers to make that happen. By integrating F-Secure SENSE with our software, we will provide exceptional home Wi-Fi performance that can also tackle various threats that can slow down or incapacitate the connected devices in consumers’ homes.”

Airties empowers service providers to provide the best Wi-Fi experience to their customers while ensuring ISPs maintain control over data, service monitoring, and home networking enhancements. Airties provides Smart Wi-Fi software for CPE, a cloud-based management platform, Mesh extenders, apps and more to ISPs around the globe. F-Secure SENSE allows service providers to choose how they want to offer the best security and privacy protection for the connected home and offers flexibility in delivering it—on its own, through select apps, or in combination with solutions from other industry leaders.

“Our proven ability to secure the home in combination with leading Internet service providers will give customers a simple way to get a lightning fast broadband connection on every device without sacrificing security,” said Järnefelt.

Additional information about Airties is at www.airties.com, and additional information about F-Secure is at www.f-secure.com.

About F-Secure 


Nobody has better visibility into real-life cyber attacks than F-Secure. We’re closing the gap between detection and response, utilizing the unmatched threat intelligence of hundreds of our industry’s best technical consultants, millions of devices running our award-winning software, and ceaseless innovations in artificial intelligence. Top banks, airlines, and enterprises trust our commitment to beating the world’s most potent threats. Together with our network of the top channel partners and over 200 service providers, we’re on a mission to make sure everyone has the enterprise-grade cyber security we all need.

Founded in 1988, F-Secure is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.

f-secure.com | twitter.com/fsecure | linkedin.com/f-secure

F-Secure media relations:


  • Adam Pilkey
  • +358406378859

About Airties


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and Mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. With an installed base of over 30 million homes, Airties’ customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.airties.com.

Airties media relations:


Source

[1] F-Secure Survey, April 2020, 11 countries (USA, Japan, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa), 400 respondents per country = 4400 respondents (+25years)


Airties and Sweepr Aim to Reduce Costs and Dependency on Call Centers by Troubleshooting Home Connectivity Issues

Partnerships

Airties and Sweepr Aim to Reduce Costs and Dependency on Call Centers by Troubleshooting Home Connectivity Issues

Partnerships

Summary

Companies to integrate Airties Cloud with Sweepr platform to identify and resolve home connectivity issues through next-gen data analysis and self-service  


DUBLIN and ISTANBUL – May 14, 2020 – Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, and Sweepr, the provider of simple care for the connected home, today announced a new strategic alliance to help service providers reduce operating costs by identifying and resolving home connectivity issues, and pre-empting calls to customer care centers.

Specifically, the companies will integrate Sweepr’s cloud-based platform with Airties Cloud, collaborate on joint customer deployments, and cooperate on future technology roadmaps and R&D efforts. Airties Cloud is a secure, GDPR-compliant platform that provides real-time visibility into subscribers’ home Wi-Fi performance, analysis on connected devices and data consumption patterns, and automated network optimization. This secure data will be used to inform Sweepr’s contextually adaptive technical support platform to help service providers respond to a consumer’s specific support requests via their digital self-care support channels such as voice assistants, mobile applications, chatbots, and more – reducing the need to contact a call center.

Together, Airties and Sweepr are bringing together the latest innovations in hybrid cloud-edge architecture, self-optimizing networks, machine learning, and self-care technologies.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties

“In today’s challenging times, service providers are under immense pressure to deliver quality Internet service and manage costs. In fact, they need to do both simultaneously,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “Together, Airties and Sweepr are bringing together the latest innovations in hybrid cloud-edge architecture, self-optimizing networks, machine learning, and self-care technologies. For us, it’s key to the evolution of ‘Smart Wi-Fi’ – designed to help service providers improve the customer experience and lower operating costs.”

Given the strain on both consumers and call centers, it’s imperative that technical support be available in the moment, rather than waiting on hold for a care agent – and that’s now more possible than ever before.

Alan Coleman, founder and CEO of Sweepr

“Given the strain on both consumers and call centers, it’s imperative that technical support be available in the moment, rather than waiting on hold for a care agent – and that’s now more possible than ever before,” said Alan Coleman, founder and CEO of Sweepr. “One of the biggest generators of care costs are problems with subscriber home networks. As such, we are proud to be working with Airties to help identify and mitigate those issues immediately, through intelligent data analysis and intuitive self-service.”

The combination of Airties and Sweepr will enable self-help options that diagnose specific problems across home networks, devices, and services. Data analytics, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques are used to generate individualized, customer-friendly responses. For example, subscribers can ask simple questions like, “Why is my Netflix slow?”, or “Why is my game connection glitchy?”. Depending on the situation, Sweepr’s platform can then generate:

  • Automated fixes (e.g. “We found and fixed the problem. Your tablet is sharing home Wi-Fi with other devices, so we prioritized it over other devices on your network. It should perform better now.”);
  • Guided self-service (e.g. We think we know what’s wrong. We are going to take you through simple steps about the placement of your home router. Also, someone in the home was using a lot of bandwidth on an older iPhone 4. When older devices like that stream video over Wi-Fi, it slows down all the newer Wi-Fi devices in the home. You might consider streaming video on a different device, if possible.”);
  • Upgrade recommendations (i.e. “Looking at our tests and analysis, it seems you would benefit greatly by upgrading to a faster broadband Internet plan. Would you be interested in that?”); and/or
  • Context assisted intervention (i.e. “We aren’t sure what the problem is but have many details of the issue. We will look into the situation and call you back with a solution.”).

The companies expect their integrations to be complete and available for trials with service providers in the coming weeks. Sweepr works with communication service providers and large appliance manufacturers and has clients in both North America and Europe. Additional information is at: www.Sweepr.com. Airties’ technologies have been deployed by more than 50 service providers across 4 different continents. Additional information about Airties can be found at: www.Airties.com.

About Airties 


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and Mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. With an installed base of over 30 million homes, Airties’ customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com.

About Sweepr


Sweepr was founded in Dublin (Ireland) in 2017 and has developed a contextually adaptive technical support platform for connected homes. With Sweepr, communication service providers and connected product manufacturers can transform how they offer technical support, enabling consumers to resolve issues without calling customer care and improving time to resolve for any remaining issues that are escalated to traditional support channels.


Proximus Taps Airties for Cloud Wi-Fi Management Platform

Customers

Proximus Taps Airties for Cloud Wi-Fi Management Platform

Customers

Summary

Airties Cloud to proactively manage home Wi-Fi and optimize performance for Proximus subscribers across Belgium  


ISTANBUL – March 12, 2020 – Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally today announced that Proximus, Belgium’s leading telecommunications provider, has deployed Airties Cloud.

Airties Cloud is a flexible management platform that continuously optimizes the network and gives service providers real-time visibility into their subscribers’ Wi-Fi performance, allowing remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. It gives service providers insights and analysis on connected devices and data consumption patterns within the home, along with proactive recommendations and a “Wi-Fi Experience Index” to help operators better serve their customers.

With Airties Cloud, we can now proactively manage and optimize our customers’ Wi-Fi to help them stay connected and entertained.

Jim Casteele, Chief Consumer Market Officer of Proximus

“Having a great Wi-Fi experience at home and in the office is a key need for our customers. We have seen a strong growth in the number of connected devices, combined with a variety of services running on these devices,” said Jim Casteele, Chief Consumer Market Officer of Proximus. “We already offer our customers the possibility to extend their Wi-Fi coverage with our Wi-Fi Booster. With Airties Cloud, we can now proactively manage and optimize our customers’ Wi-Fi to help them stay connected and entertained. Providing our customers with intelligent Wi-Fi is part of our commitment to offer the best set of converged services”.

Proximus has the ambition to offer superior in-home Wi-Fi to consumers in Belgium, and we’re proud to support them with our versatile cloud Wi-Fi management platform.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties

“Proximus has the ambition to offer superior in-home Wi-Fi to consumers in Belgium, and we’re proud to support them with our versatile cloud Wi-Fi management platform,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “With increased demand driven by streaming video, more connected devices and telecommuting, Proximus recognizes that its customers are more dependent than ever on having a reliable home network that provides spotless service and coverage, and we look forward to helping them deliver the optimum Wi-Fi experience.”

With Airties Cloud, there is no need to download any client-side software on subscribers’ personal devices. Airties’ unique hybrid cloud-edge architecture leverages both the embedded intelligence in CPEs and cloud-based analytics to maximize responsiveness and performance. This capability is key for home environments with high-band low latency applications such as gaming and UHD video.

Airties’ technologies have been deployed by more than 50 service providers across 4 different continents. Additional information about Airties can be found at: www.Airties.com. For more information about Proximus, visit: www.proximus.be.

About Airties 


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. The company offers Smart Wi-Fi software, a cloud-based management platform and Mesh extenders. Service providers turn to Airties for the design, implementation, and ongoing optimization of their customers’ broadband experience. With an installed base of over 30 million homes, Airties’ customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com.

About Proximus


Proximus Group is a telecommunication & ICT company operating in the Belgian and international markets, servicing residential, enterprise and public customers. Proximus aims to open up a world of digital opportunities so people live better and work smarter. The company is at the heart of the digital revolution, delivering communication and entertainment experiences for residential consumers and enabling digital transformation for enterprises. Through its best-quality integrated fixed and mobile networks, Proximus provides access anywhere and anytime to digital services and easy-to-use solutions and is a gateway to multimedia content. Proximus is a pioneer in ICT innovation, with integrated solutions that have a positive impact on society and the environment, based on Internet of Things (IoT), Data analytics, cloudification, and security. With 12,931 employees, all engaged to offer customers a superior experience, the Group realized an underlying Group revenue of EUR 5,686 million end-2019.

Proximus (Euronext Brussels: PROX) is also active in Luxembourg through its affiliate Proximus Luxembourg and in the Netherlands through Telindus Netherlands. BICS is a leading international communications enabler, one of the key global voice carriers and the leading provider of mobile data services worldwide.

For more information, visit www.proximus.com & www.proximus.be


CUJO AI and Airties Extend Strategic Alliance to Provide Actionable Network Insights to NSPs with Lens, an AI-powered Network Analytics Tool

Partnerships

CUJO AI and Airties Extend Strategic Alliance to Provide Actionable Network Insights to NSPs with Lens, an AI-powered Network Analytics Tool

Partnerships

Summary

Airties Cloud and CUJO AI Lens to integrate data analysis for mutual customers


October 14, 2019, CUJO AI, a global leader in the development and application of Artificial Intelligence to improve the security, control, and privacy of connected devices, and Airties, the most widely deployed suppliers of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, today announced that they are extending their strategic relationship. Specifically, Airties’ customers will have access to data from the CUJO AI-powered network analytics tool as part of Airties Cloud, and conversely, CUJO AI customers will have access to Airties’ Wi-Fi data analytics as part of CUJO AI Lens.

CUJO AI Lens is an AI-powered analytics solution that gives service providers a dynamic and near real-time view into the way customers utilize their home network. Lens provides a GDPR-compliant solution that allows network operators to monitor and query CUJO AI generated data about connected devices and applications. Airties Cloud is a flexible management platform that continuously optimizes the network and gives service providers real-time visibility into their subscribers’ Wi-Fi performance, allowing remote diagnostics and troubleshooting.

With this new integration, Airties Cloud will gain access to a richer set of device-level analytics – including exact device models, operating system of those devices, and application usage profiles – that will be used to enhance Airties’ Cloud steering profiles and algorithms. CUJO AI Lens will gain detailed information about Wi-Fi performance analytics, and mutual customers will have the option to deploy CUJO AI’s premium security features on Airties’ Wi-Fi extenders.

Together, we provide network operators with a way to collect, intuitively analyze and visualize end-user connectivity and utilization data and get answers across operations, business, marketing as well as customer service visibility into devices and applications

Andrea Peiro, President at CUJO AI

“CUJO AI has created Lens based on our experience monitoring and protecting over half billion connected devices to fulfill our customers need for data-driven, actionable insights while respecting consumers’ right to privacy and regulatory compliance requirements. Our integration will enable new and existing Airties customers to deploy Lens alongside the Airties Cloud agent through a no-cost licensing program. Together, we provide network operators with a way to collect, intuitively analyze and visualize end-user connectivity and utilization data and get answers across operations, business, marketing as well as customer service visibility into devices and applications,” said Andrea Peiro, President at CUJO AI.

We share a common vision is to provide the most advanced managed Wi-Fi solutions to our mutual customers.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties

“CUJO AI remains at the forefront of innovation in areas such as predictive modeling, privacy, and the security of consumers’ home networks,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “By integrating Airties Cloud and CUJO AI Lens, we’ll be taking our relationship to the next level. We share a common vision is to provide the most advanced managed Wi-Fi solutions to our mutual customers.”

Network operators face challenges in understanding how consumers utilize their networks and broadband internet access. Lens’ interactive exploration interface and reporting dashboards are designed to enable network operators to navigate, cross-correlate and report on data related to connected devices, applications usage, content access, security threats, and privacy features that occur within consumer and business networks. By taking advantage of CUJO AI Lens, service providers can build on the full set of self-diagnostic tools to further enhance their ability to optimize operations and elevate the customer experience. CUJO AI also offers a suite of premium security services as optional services which can be deployed in addition to Lens.

CUJO AI and Airties joined forces in February 2019 when they announced their initial strategic alliance. The two companies are now working together across chipset and CPE manufacturer platforms to support network operators around the globe.

Demos of the CUJO AI Lens tool will take place at the 2019 Broadband World Forum being held at the RAI in Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 15-17th. Together with Airties in Stand C30, CUJO AI will be showcasing their integrated solution.

About CUJO AI 


Powered by proprietary Artificial Intelligence models and uniquely built on billions of real-world data points, the CUJO AI portfolio of products is designed to gain a clear insight on how data moves across networks and digitally protect people and devices, creating a safer smart-living experience in homes, businesses, and connected communities. Network, mobile and public Wi-Fi operators around the world utilize the CUJO AI portfolio of products to provide their customers with a seamlessly integrated suite of value-added services, covering: network monitoring and protection, advanced connected device identification, real-time network security, privacy protection, content access control, and digital parenting.

For more information: More information about CUJO AI Lens can be found at cujo.com/lens

Follow us on Twitter: @CUJOAI

About Airties


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. Airties delivers service providers with Smart Wi-Fi software, apps, a cloud-based performance optimization platform, Mesh extenders and set-top boxes. With an installed base of over 25 million homes, Airties customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com.


Airties Introduces Smart
Wi-Fi 6 Portfolio for Service Providers

News

Airties Introduces Smart
Wi-Fi 6 Portfolio for Service Providers

News

Summary

Introduces dual-band and tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extenders and Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router

Signs multiple deals with Tier 1 operators to deploy Airties’ Wi-Fi 6 products


ISTANBUL – October 10, 2019 – In advance of Broadband World Forum, Airties, the most widely deployed supplier of managed Wi-Fi solutions to service providers globally, unveiled its portfolio of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) devices powered by Airties Smart Wi-Fi software. The company also disclosed that it has signed deals with multiple Tier 1 service providers expected to bring them to market in the coming months.

Specifically, Airties introduced a new, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Extender, a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Extender, and a Wi-Fi 6 router. In addition to increased speed and capacity, Wi-Fi 6 products are designed to support the growing density of connected devices within the home, delivering lower latency, enhanced battery life to IOT devices and reduced interference from neighbouring Wi-Fi networks. With Airties Smart Wi-Fi software and Airties Cloud, service providers can ensure they get the best out of the Wi-Fi 6 technology, proactively managing both Wi-Fi 6 and older, legacy devices in their customers’ homes to guarantee the best possible performance.

Today’s service providers want Wi-Fi 6 as part of a managed Wi-Fi solution to deliver the best possible home Wi-Fi experience for consumers.

Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties

“Today’s service providers want Wi-Fi 6 as part of a managed Wi-Fi solution to deliver the best possible home Wi-Fi experience for consumers,” said Philippe Alcaras, CEO of Airties. “It’s clear that the number of connected devices is increasing at an accelerated rate, and trends such as UHD video, online gaming, and working from home, are all placing more demands on home networks. To address these evolutions, we’re excited to introduce our new Wi-Fi 6 portfolio, powered by Airties Smart Wi-Fi and supported by Airties Cloud.”

Smart Wi-Fi 6 Portfolio

Airties’ Wi-Fi 6 products have a new, particularly compact industrial design, with a new side ventilation system and pedestal design. The products are all powered by Airties’ Smart Wi-Fi software, which intelligently directs consumers’ devices to the best available channel and band (2.4GHz and 5GHz), based on real-time home network conditions to improve performance. The portfolio includes:

  • Air4960 Wi-Fi 6 Extender: This new dual-band extender incorporates a Broadcom CPU (BCM6752 chipset), with 5 GHz 4×4 (BCM43684 chipset), and 2.4 GHz 2×2 (BCM6752 chipset), delivering high performance with 160 MHz channel support.
  • Air4960R Wi-Fi Router: This versatile Wi-Fi 6 Mesh router is designed to support operators that plan to retain their existing cable modems or fiber terminations within the home. Instead of having three separate devices (a modem, router, and Mesh Extender), the Air 4960R enables operators to have two devices, by integrating the router software into the Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender. Hardware specs are identical to the Air 4960.
  • Air4970 Wi-Fi Extender: This ultra-high-performance tri-band extender is designed to work with next-gen Wi-Fi 6 tri-band gateways and provides a dedicated backhaul channel for consistently high operation within the home. It uses a Broadcom CPU (BSM6755 chipset), with 5 GHz high band backhaul with 3×3 (BCM6710 chipset), and 2.4GHz and 5GHz front haul with 2×2 dual band concurrent (BCM6755 chipset).

In addition, Airties’ Wi-Fi 6 portfolio enables use of the Airties Cloud, a flexible management platform that continuously optimizes the network and gives service providers real-time visibility into their subscribers’ Wi-Fi performance, allowing remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. It gives service providers insights and analysis on connected devices and data consumption patterns within the home, along with proactive recommendations and a new “Wi-Fi Experience Index” to help operators better serve their customers.

Airties’ unique hybrid cloud-edge architecture leverages both the embedded intelligence in CPEs and cloud-based analytics to maximize responsiveness and performance. This capability is key for home environments with high-band low latency applications such as gaming and UHD video.

Airties will showcase its Wi-Fi 6 portfolio at the upcoming Broadband World Forum in Amsterdam, October 15-17, in Stand C30. More information about Airties can be found at: www.Airties.com.

About Airties


Founded in 2004, Airties is the most widely deployed provider of managed in-home Wi-Fi solutions to operators around the globe. Airties delivers service providers with Smart Wi-Fi software, apps, a cloud-based performance optimization platform, Mesh extenders and set-top boxes. With an installed base of over 25 million homes, Airties customers include: AT&T, Singtel, Sky and many others. More information is available at www.Airties.com.