This webinar discusses the hot topics in mobility at the moment. What are the implications of MAC addresses randomisation for enterprise networks? Wifi 6E vs 5G - which is more relevant to education and research?

1. Roaming update & new technologies
Mark O’Leary, October 2020

2. Agenda
2
1. Govroam update
2. eduroam update
3. New wireless tech
a) 5G
b) WiFi-6E
c) Private LTE

3. Govroam status

4. Govroam updates
4
• Currently available at 4,768 sites across 298
organisations. This compares to 4,176
locations a year ago.
• Usage affected by lockdown, but we still saw
growth particularly within the NHS.
• Govroam is forming part of business continuity
and disaster recovery plans, including
strategies for COVID-19 and Brexit.
• We encourage universities and colleges to offer
govroam alongside eduroam where appropriate,
to support their public sector visitors.
Commercial, 1% Blue light, 2%
Education, 13%
Government, 39%
NHS, 45%
Membership by sector

5. Govroam usage
Govroam inter-realm,
overall
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1
8
15
22
29
36
43
50
57
64
71
78
85
92
99
106
113
120
127
134
141
148
155
162
169
176
183
190
197
204
211
218
225
232
239
246
253
260
267
274
Day of 2020
Govroam inter-realm,
by sector
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
NHS Gov Blue

6. eduroam status

7. eduroam updates
Insert footer7
• Membership number now stands at over 600
• Vast majority of HE now participate in eduroam;
50% of FE colleges have joined
• Continue to focus on supporting and increasing
uptake in FE
• In final stages of fully virtualising national
infrastructure
[CELLRANGE]
NHS Trusts
[CELLRANGE]
FE Colleges
[CELLRANGE]
Other - local
authority,
science park,
society, other
education
New members Jan-Sept 2020
NHS Trusts
FE Colleges
Other - local
authority,
science park,
society, other
education

8. eduroam usage
Insert footer8
• Impact of COVID: anticipated peak of 1.7M
unique devices roaming in March fell to
~1.2M
• April saw the lowest device count since Sept
2013 - a quarter of normal usage.
• NHS hospital-related roaming
• International roaming has been reduced
even more
• There has been a gradual increase over the
summer and the return to campus as
restrictions have been lifted
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
Jan May Sept Jan May Sept Jan May Sept Jan May Sept
Unique Client Devices Monthly Count
(Based on calling station-ID attribute in Access-Accept
Events) Jan 17 - Sept 20

9. New wireless technologies

10. Finally, the wireless estate?
Insert footer10
• Long history of finance challenging new build plans to eliminate flood wiring, replace with WiFi on cost
grounds.
• Never been viable… until now?
• Quick review of the leading contenders to follow: 5G, WiFI-6E, Private LTE
• Caveat one: almost everything you can research online applies to the US market, where a very different
spectrum management regime is in force. Challenge your sales conversations for UK-based reference
sites.
• Caveat two: If you do opt for a wireless building – with the implied wireless IP telephony – take extra care
over requirements for ability to do emergency service calls

11. 5G

12. 5G - macrocellular
Insert footer12
• Characteristics of ‘telephony’ version:
•28GHz: higher speeds (av. 200-400mbps), reduced latency
•Higher density: 106 users per km2 (vs. 4,000 for 4G)
•Massive MIMO improves efficiency – but makes for expensive base stations
•Network slicing is much easier: dedicated private 5G networks at national scale, e.g. for IoT
• Impact expected 2022 in Asia, other regions to follow – perhaps 5 years from broad availability in the UK.
• “More than a year after the UK’s first 5G network was switched on, the technology still looks like a solution
looking for a problem” – Telegraph

13. 5G - mmWave
Insert footer13
• mmWave:
•30 – 300GHz, therefore very different propagation characteristics indoors.
•Small antennae, therefore easy to incorporate arrays in device formfactors, giving enhanced spatial
processing
•Propagation characteristics will require AP spacing as low as 10m
•Human hand can block the signal unless the phone handset has multiple antennae to compensate.

14. WiFI-6E

15. A reminder of terminology
Insert footer15
Branding IEEE standard
Wi-Fi 1* 802.11b (1999)
Wi-Fi 2* 802.11a (1999)
Wi-Fi 3* 802.11g (2003)
Wi-Fi 4 802.11n (2009)
Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac (2014)
Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax (2019)

16. WiFi-6E
Insert footer16
• ‘Vanilla’ WiFi 6 faces congestion in the 5GHz ISM band
and DFS to protect licensed frequencies; it can’t achieve
its potential of ~10Gbps – it may even not be worth
upgrading WiFi 5 to WiFi 6.
• WiFi-6E operates at 6GHz (Ofcom is consulting on
releasing spectrum)
•No congestion or DFS: full 160MHz channels available
•Better management of congested environments through
OFDMA use of sub-channels, MU-MIMO, 1024QAM etc.
• Overall, better network efficiency, lower latency.
• But, Gartner forecasts that only 24% of notebook
computers and 22% of premium ultramobile devices will
have integrated 802.11ax technology by 2022.

17. Private LTE

18. 4G Private LTE
Insert footer18
• Various frequencies available 1.8, 2.3, 3.8, 26 GHz
• Standard LTE interface
• Addresses perceived limitations of WiFi:
•poor data throughputs
•variable latency
•signal loss during handover between Aps
• ‘Shared Access’ license required from Ofcom; available for a fee, first
come first served. (low power/indoors or medium power/single base
station)