Cracking Google Project Fi & LTE/Wi-Fi Aggregation With Qualcomm - Wi-Fi Now Episode 5

This week we look at an alternative to LTE-U: It’s called LTE/Wi-Fi Link Aggregation or LWA. Qualcomm’s Gerardo Giaretta explains how LWA brings Wi-Fi and LTE together into a single data stream to serve consumers better. LWA is anchored in LTE but lets carriers use their existing Wi-Fi networks (or third party Wi-FI) to boost capacity and bit rates to devices. LWA may be a little behind LTE-U standardization but is expected to happen commercially in 2017.

Reviews of the new Google Project Fi services have been many (and mostly very positive) but the details on how Project Fi manages handoffs between networks (and between Wi-Fi and cellular) have thus far been unclear. Pravala’s Nicholas Armstrong has tested Project Fi and presents us with some surprising results.

Finally: What are cybercriminals up to on public Wi-Fi networks? University of Maryland professor David Maimon is right now studying what methods hackers use to compromise your personal data or break into your device while on public Wi-Fi. Consumers will routinely connect to unsafe Wi-Fi hotspots so addressing the security challenge with both awareness and the right solutions is important.

This episode of Wi-Fi Now is brought to you by Qualcomm.

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