Nokia adds new beacon and features to home WiFi solutions

Telecom network maker Nokia has added a new beacon and several new features to its home WiFi solutions.

Nokia said the new Beacon 1 complements Nokia’s Beacon 3 solution, while new Intelligent Channel Selection, pre-pairing and bridging features help to simplify network setup and enhance the WiFi experience.

Many homes suffer from poor WiFi due to the number of connected devices on the WiFi network, high bandwidth activities such as video streaming or interference sources such as a neighbor’s WiFi or appliances like microwaves and Bluetooth devices.

Customers face poor WiFi coverage due to dead zones that can occur from indoor walls.

The deployment of Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters can degrade WiFi performance and cause frustration.

Nokia’s home WiFi solution is designed to challenges and improve the user experience while significantly reducing the time and complexity required to install and manage WiFi.

Nokia said Beacon 1 is an entry-level, whole-home mesh WiFi system for consumers looking for the best performance. Beacon 1 includes Intelligent Channel Selection which automatically identifies the best possible WiFi channel for each device to ensure better WiFi experience.

The Nokia WiFi Beacon 1 is an AC1200 system which covers approximately 1500 square feet (140 sq. m) per Beacon.

Sandra Motley, president of Nokia’s Fixed Networks business group, said: “Operators want to eliminate the 30-50 percent of customer calls they receive due to poor WiFi performance while consumers want a solution that is easy to install, dependable and can deliver on the speeds they are paying for.”

The Nokia WiFi Beacon 1 and existing Beacon 3 whole-home WiFi systems are available for purchase on Amazon.com. The Beacon 1 retails for $129.99 and is available in single or three-pack configurations.  The Beacon 3 is available in single, two-pack and three-pack configurations.

New features

Pre-pairing –a software enhancement from Nokia that pre-configures beacons sold in 2-pack and 3-pack configurations, eliminating the need to install each individually. Consumers can install the first Nokia beacon and the other beacons automatically recognize each other and self-install.

Intelligent Channel Selection — The beacons detect both Wi-Fi and non-WiFi interference and use Intelligent Channel Selection to always choose the best WiFi channel and band.

Nokia WiFi Mesh technology — based on the Unium capabilities acquired in 2018, Nokia beacons deliver carrier-grade mesh technology that allows all beacons to work together to give every device the best connection possible.

Nokia WiFi Mesh automatically and seamlessly combines Ethernet, 5 GHz Wi-Fi and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to connect beacons. When needed, it automatically reroutes traffic to another beacon.

Nokia WiFi Mobile Application delivers a simple interface that provides a visual representation of WiFi, including a heat map to locate and manage dead zones. Customers can access device lists and management capabilities or activate a guest network.

Stephen Wilson, principal analyst at Analysys Mason said: “Nokia’s WiFi Beacons delivers a high quality, whole home mesh Wi-Fi system that can significantly improve the in-home Wi-Fi experience at an affordable price.”