Cellular and WiFi (WLAN) Integration: Benefits and Advantages

This page compares cellular vs wifi (i.e., WLAN) data networks and mentions the benefits or advantages of cellular and wifi integration. It covers advantages of a cellular wifi system from the perspectives of cellular operators, wifi service providers, and end users.

Introduction

The deployment of cellular networks and WLAN hotspots is increasing due to growing user demands. Both cellular and WLAN technologies are complementary. Both wifi data service providers and mobile operators are interested in roaming between wifi and cellular networks. This complementary nature can provide a cost-effective business model, offering wireless multimedia and high data rate services to a large population.

The integration of these two technologies helps operators provide access-independent services, better utilization of spectrum resources, standardized inter-working, low-cost infrastructure, promotion of multimode terminals, and flexible integration of new access networks at the IP level, among other benefits.

Cellular Network

There are different cellular networks such as 2G (GSM), 3G (WCDMA), 3.5G (HSPA+), 4G (LTE, Mobile WiMAX), 4.5G (LTE Advanced), and 5G NR (New Radio), in increasing order of their data transfer speed.

Figure-1 : Cellular data network architecture

There are three main elements in cellular data network architecture: Base Station (i.e., network side), Mobile subscriber (i.e., user side), and internet backbone. As shown in Figure 1, the cellular system connects with PSTN and PSDN to provide support for circuit-switched data traffic and packet-switched data traffic.

The key features of cellular data networks are:

• Cellular networks are available nationwide due to roaming functionality.
• Cellular data users are charged according to different subscription rates and usage in various countries.
• Coverage range is higher due to cellular tower height and transmit power, as per the planned RF link budget.

Figure-2 : Integrated cellular wifi architecture

WiFi Network

The WiFi network follows various IEEE WLAN wireless standards such as 802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac (wifi5), 11ax (wifi6), etc. WiFi networks are not available everywhere, but wifi hotspots are commonly found in business offices, malls, airports, railway stations, etc.

Figure-3 : Wifi data network architecture

There are two elements in wifi data network architecture: AP (Access point) or router, and STAs (Stations). WiFi operates on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, in two modes: adhoc and infrastructure.

The key features of wifi data networks are:

• WiFi data usage is often free of charge in public places.
• It supports different data rates as per the wifi standard used by APs (i.e., routers) and STAs (stations), which is often much larger than cellular data rates.
• Coverage range is lesser compared to cellular networks.

Benefits or Advantages of Cellular WiFi (WLAN) Integration

Following are the benefits or advantages of Cellular wifi (WLAN) integration :

• It helps to offload cellular data traffic to WLAN network in the areas having higher user density.
• It helps wifi service provider to increase its subscriber database by pulling cellular data traffic users from partner cellular networks.
• The integration helps end users with enhanced performance by offering greater coverage, high data rates and low overall cost.
• The cellular wifi integration provide customers with single billing and service support. Moreover it offers secure communication environment and trusted relationship.
• It helps to promote multimode terminals at lower cost.
• The integration take benefits of higher data speed from wifi network and large area coverage/high mobility support from cellular network.