Ruckus Networks has announced the Ruckus R730, the industry's first IoT- and LTE-ready, 802.11ax wireless access point (AP) for public places such as stadiums, train stations and schools.
The high-capacity R730 works in concert with the new Ruckus Ultra-High Density Technology Suite to smoothly deliver high-resolution, latency-sensitive video in ultra-high density user environments.
The R730 complies with both the new WPA3™ security protocol and Wi-Fi™ Enhanced Open for more secure connections on public networks.
Worldwide data and video traffic is growing at double-digit rates, driven by an increase in connected devices.
ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm, predicts that Wi-Fi device shipments will grow to nearly 35 billion by 2022, says a Media OutReach statement.
Data and video traffic also will surge due to increased per-device data consumption driven by applications like 4K video streaming, virtual and augmented reality and live-stream gaming.
Ian Whiting, president of the Ruckus Networks, said, "Ruckus customers and partners demand more when it comes to their networks."
"We have a long history of delivering products and technologies that go beyond the current state of the art to meet the world's most demanding network requirements while driving down the cost-per-connection. Ruckus R730 and Ruckus Ultra-High Density Technology Suite are the latest examples," Ian said.
The congestion of people, devices and bandwidth-hungry apps makes for challenges that current wireless tech cannot handle.
Adding to the complexity of the environment are diversifying device categories and apps, such as instant messaging, IoT control messages and voice-over-Wi-Fi.
Chris DePuy, founder and technology analyst at 650 Group, said, "Real-world use cases are bumping up against the limits of existing Wi-Fi standards, and the need for 802.11ax to address a wide variety of heterogeneous, high-density scenarios is clear."
"Ruckus has already differentiated itself in the realm of network consolidation. With this launch, Ruckus is reinforcing that by setting the stage for converged Wi-Fi, IoT and LTE deployments," he said.