Plume and chipset manufacturer MediaTek announced at CES 2018 a new Wi-Fi Pod reference design integrating MediaTek’s chipset solutions into Plume’s Adaptive Wi-Fi cloud platform, including a dual-band Pod, as well as a dual-band 2×2 and tri-band 2+2+4 platform utilizing MediaTek’s silicon. Additionally, the new partnership will allow ISPs partnered with the chipmaker to implement Plume’s Adaptive Wi-Fi solution into certain existing platforms using MediaTek’s SoCs via firmware updates.
Plume Adaptive Wi-Fi can be described as a mesh networking solution relying on cloud connectivity to enable, disable, and manage individual Wi-Fi Pods (routers) over a network in order to provide a user with improved coverage. It’s described by the company as the only hardware-agnostic, open platform solution compatible with a wide range of chipsets and hardware designed by various manufacturers. And as an increasing number of ISPs are reportedly adopting Plume’s technology, MediaTek’s goal is to provide its enterprise customers around the world with these advanced Wi-Fi solutions. According to the duo, the collaboration already led to the creation of an ultra-compact and cost-effective Pod reference designs relying on MediaTek’s chipsets. This includes a dual-band Pod, a dual-band 2×2 solution, as well as a dual-band 4×4 reference design employing the MediaTek MT7621A and two MT7615 chipsets. Finally, there’s also a tri-band 2+2+4 solution that leverages three different MediaTek chipsets including the MT7621A, MT7615, and MT7615D.
Following this new partnership, ISPs who are already MediaTek customers and offer CPEs integrating the chipmaker’s solutions could also benefit from Plume’s Adaptive Wi-Fi technology without having to replace any hardware. Some compatible CPEs will gain Plume Cloud capabilities via firmware updates later on, though it’s unclear when the rollout might begin and what existing hardware will support the technology but presumably, these existing solutions might need to rely on the aforementioned chipsets in order to make the list. It may also come down to each ISP’s strategy as to whether or not they’ll want to deploy Plume’s solution on their networks, but according to MediaTek, its ISP customers around the world are always on the lookout for better Wi-Fi implementations offering a higher standard of performance and will be willing to consider its latest technology.