Boingo Wireless, which provides wireless infrastructure including distributed antenna systems, small cells and Wi-Fi, sees increasing business opportunities with its recently unveiled converged virtualized core, the company’s CEO Mike Finley said during a recent conference call with investors.
Boingo Wireless debuted its converged virtualized core at Mobile World Congress Los Angeles last month.
“The virtualized platform replaces network hardware with software to efficiently power 5G use cases over unlicensed and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. It will serve as a neutral host backbone for our WiFi 6, CBRS, and 5G deployments at large venues like airports and stadiums, and enable seamless, scalable roaming onto these networks,” Finley said.
“As a result of our experience managing and operating licensed and unlicensed networks for over a decade, we believe we’re in a unique position to exploit this exciting opportunity as networks converge,” the executive added.
The company highlighted that its next-generation solution is built with a virtualized infrastructure core, including a virtualized radio access network (vRAN), and uses the cloud to evolve network operation for the 5G era. Boingo network functions run as software for faster rollout of services at venues, such as carrier offload, flexible network expansion and seamless 5G upgrades. The core offers the versatility required for 5G environments and can facilitate connectivity using Wi-Fi, LTE and IoT technologies, Boingo said.
Boingo showcased its converged virtualized core deploying Wi-Fi 6 and LTE over CBRS spectrum at the MWC Los Angeles OnGo Pavilion.
In September, Boingo announced the initial commercial deployment (ICD) of the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band following the FCC’s public notice of approval. Boingo said its neutral-host CBRS network expands wireless coverage and capacity at large venues to accommodate mobile demands and deliver a seamless and secure connected experience.
Boingo deployed the first known CBRS network at a major airport when it launched a private LTE cellular network on the 3.5 GHz band at Dallas Love Field Airport, which services more than 15 million passengers annually.