Abstract :
In recent years, there has been a tremendous need for high-data rate support by modern wireless communication systems due to end users excessive data usage and demand. On the cellular side, the downlink data rate throughput increased from <20Mbps in 3G HSPA to >100Mbps for 3.9G LTE Rel. 8 (and up to 1Gbps for LTE-A Rel. 10 & beyond). Meanwhile, WiFi data rate throughput also increased from <420Mbps for 802.11n to <4.9Gbps for 802.11ac wave 2. The boom of smart phones and social media services has pushed the need for higher data bandwidth, which subsequently has driven cellular networks to their limits. Cellular operators are now thinking of better ways to offload cellular networks from this extreme data stream demand by users. On one hand, femtocells seem promising because the spectrum can be re-used more frequently over a smaller geographical region, as small as a house, with easy access to the network backbone. On the other hand, WiFi networks are readily available in most homes and are easy to install and manage. Going into future 5G cellular with its higher projected data rates, will cellular networks become self-sufficient through proper micro/femto cell design and so meet the needs of end users to the point that WiFi would seize to exist? Or will cellular networks become limited to voice communication and selected data rate demands while high data rate communication is left to WiFi to handle in coordination with cellular networks? This panel´s distinguished experts from cellular/ WiFi chipset providers, cellular operators, and communication network/infrastructure manufacturers will present their perspectives on the topic above, especially the pros and cons of each approach, what the technical challenges are for future cellular generation network data traffic management, and how cellular and WiFi would ultimately converge (or otherwise diverge).
