Tata Play Fiber, a broadband service provider, has partnered with Nokia to deploy India’s first WiFi6-ready broadband network. The network will offer faster and more reliable internet connectivity to customers across the country.

What is WiFi6 and why is it important?

WiFi6 is the latest generation of wireless technology that can deliver up to four times faster speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity than the previous WiFi standards. WiFi6 also supports more devices and applications on the same network, enabling better performance for online gaming, streaming, video conferencing, and smart home devices.

WiFi6 is especially useful for large and multi-floor spaces, where traditional WiFi routers may struggle to provide consistent coverage. WiFi6 uses a mesh system, where multiple routers or beacons are interconnected to create a seamless network that can cover every corner of the premises.

WiFi6 also enhances the security of the network by using advanced encryption and authentication protocols. This helps protect the data and privacy of the users from cyberattacks and unauthorized access.

How will Tata Play Fiber and Nokia implement WiFi6 in India?

Tata Play Fiber has chosen Nokia as its technology partner to roll out WiFi6-ready broadband network in India. Nokia will provide Tata Play Fiber with various fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and WiFi equipment, including optical line terminal (OLT) and optical network terminal (ONT) with WiFi6 and mesh beacons.

Nokia’s OLT and ONT devices are designed to deliver high-speed fiber connectivity to the customers’ homes or offices. The ONT devices also have built-in WiFi6 capabilities that can connect to the mesh beacons to create a WiFi6 network. The mesh beacons are small and sleek devices that can be placed anywhere in the premises to extend the WiFi coverage and performance.

Nokia’s solution also includes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) software that can monitor and optimize the network performance, identify traffic patterns, faults, and potential outages, and ensure the best user experience.

What are the benefits of Tata Play Fiber’s WiFi6-ready broadband network?

Tata Play Fiber’s WiFi6-ready broadband network will offer several benefits to its customers, such as:

Faster and more reliable internet speeds up to 1 Gbps
Seamless WiFi coverage for large and multi-floor spaces
Support for more devices and applications on the same network
Enhanced security and privacy of the data
Future-proof technology that can support new innovations and services

Anand N Sahai, CEO at Tata Play Fiber, said, “Our partnership with Nokia allows us to bring Wifi6-ready network to our customers – which is a first in the category. The deployment of this next generation best-in-class optical networking solution will boost up speed & coverage for multiple smart gadgets in all tech-dependent homes and enterprises.”

Vinish Bawa, head of enterprise, Webscale & Emerging business, India, at Nokia, said, “Nokia has been the world leader in optical line terminal (OLT) technologies, and we are proud to be a close partner for Tata Play Fiber in India. This deal is an extension of the work we have already done together and will also notch up a first for India by upgrading the network to be WiFi6 ready.”