Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) has introduced its next generation of Spectrum WiFi router based on the emerging IEEE 802.11ax specification, which is still in development. 802.11ax is intended to increase WiFi speeds, allow for more concurrently connected devices and better battery life for those devices, and improve WiFi coverage in the home.
"Our new Spectrum WiFi router with 802.11ax is the most advanced wireless router in the world and firmly positions Charter as the leader in advanced wireless solutions," said Jim Blackley, executive vice president, Engineering and Information Technology, for Charter. "With multi-gigabit throughput, 802.11ax unleashes the full potential of Charter's fiber-rich network, creating a better in-home and entertainment experience and further enabling next-generation technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and advanced IoT-enabled applications."
Charter is also developing a converged wireless router solution to be introduced in 2019 that will include the ability to utilize licensed spectrum and several IoT radio technologies in a single form factor design.
Additionally, Charter is taking steps to simplify the setup and configuration of residential wireless environments. In early 2019, Spectrum WiFi routers will receive a WiFi Radio Resource Management (RRM) capability that is designed to automatically and proactively optimize the in-home WiFi environment using a built-in cloud-based data analytics engine.
