The number of Wi-Fi hotspots in the US and Canada are expected to reach 44 million by 2018. These figures were cited in a recent report 'North America Carrier and Cable WiFi Forecast, 2013-2018: Meeting Mobile Demand with WiFi' by iGR, a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry.
According to iGR, the 44 million hotspots comprise the operator as well as the cable Multi Service Operators(MSO)' dual-SSID WiFi solutions. Wi-Fi, a service that has been around for many years now is seeing increased uptake in recent years as the consumption of data on mobile devices continues to surge. With the widespread ownership of devices such as smartphones and tablets, subscribers are becoming dependent on data connectivity to continue browsing, accesing social media accounts and keeping tab of their emails and other online transactions when they are out and about. Wi-Fi provides a cheaper alternative to cellular data connection for these subscribers, while for service providers, Wi-Fi offloading frees up a lot more bandwidth on their networks ensuring better quality of service for mobile users while ensuring that mobile data customers are not overly burdened with data charges on every byte consumed on their mobile devices. In addition, the Wi-Fi service has become a key feature across retail outlets and commercial venues and has proven to create additional revenue and business opportunities for merchants as well as Wi-Fi service providers.
"iGR expects the number of WiFi hotspots to continue to increase due to the significant benefits WiFi has to offer to cellular carriers, cable MSOs, independent service providers and their subscribers. Over the next five years, we expect the number of hotspots, including the cable MSOs' dual-SSID WiFi solutions, to reach almost 44 million."
- Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry
