Jul 23, 2024
- Technology WiFi 7: The seventh generation technology could broadly outperform their previous versions in terms of capacity, connection speeds and latency
- Cirion experts explain its importance for different industries, as well as for data protection.
Wireless technologies adoption, such as WiFi has gradually increased in Latin America thanks to the growing connectivity and digitalization in the region. Even though there’s still a big gap for overall availability, experts in the area trust implementation will fast-track with the activation of rising connectivity modalities such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO), or 5G connectivity development, thus making it more affordable.
With this objective in mind, people are already talking about WiFi 7, the next generation of wireless technology that is being developed globally, to deliver faster connection speeds, higher capacity, and lower latency compared to previous WiFi technologies. “Although it is not completely standardized yet, nor widely available on the market, WiFi 7 is expected to significantly outperform its predecessors in terms of performance and efficiency,” said Alejandro Girardotti, Senior Director, Product, Innovation and Strategic Alliances at Cirion Technologies.
But what are Technology Wi-Fi 7’s new features and advantages?
Cirion experts explain a series of implications of this new technology:
- Enhanced use of available bandwidth: Users of this new technology could reach final speeds 45x faster than current WIFI solutions. To accomplish this, multiple channels (MLO, Multi-Link Operation) are used. This feature enables use of different channels simultaneously.
- Latency is reduced at a minimum by generating a higher throughput than the old WIFI and by using multiple channels/bands. This will be leveraged by the gaming world and the metaverse.
- Applications in key industries: Various industries could benefit from WiFi 7 deployment, including mining, where it could be used to improve work environments connectivity. Similarly, the healthcare sector could leverage WiFi 7 to enhance telemedicine and remote real-time care in rural and urban areas.
- Boost the economy: WiFi 7 overall implementation in the region, in tandem with new means of access. 5G and LEO satellites could boost digital economy by enabling more advanced e-commerce apps., and services, online education and digital tourism, particularly in countries where technology adoption and breakthroughs are lower. Thus, economic growth and social development could be driven in the region.
- Increased connection security: By adopting this new WIFI 7 technology end users will benefit from an improved connection, either in shared (Coffee-shops, Restaurants, Universities) or controlled environments, in addition to an enhanced security. Security is a growing concern as more businesses and users adopt wireless technologies.
“WiFi 7 could improve these networks’ security by delivering more sophisticated protocols and improved threat detection and prevention capabilities. As far as the technology and telecommunications areas are concerned, organizations could deploy WiFi 7 to improve their network infrastructure and offer faster and more reliable connectivity services, including ISPs, mobile carriers and IT companies” said Girardotti.
The executive continued saying that WiFi 7 also presents challenges in terms of risk management and sensitive data protection: “Implementing this seventh generation technology in Latin America will call for a significant investment in network infrastructure and compatible equipment. This could entail some challenges, in a context where many companies and governments face budgetary constraints and competing priorities. However, investment in connectivity technologies such as WiFi 7 could be critical to maintain economic competitiveness and improve the quality of life in the region,” he closed.
And even though we still don’t have specific data on WiFi 7 adoption in Latin America, industry data estimates that countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile will lead the implementation of this technology due to their market size and economic and technological development levels. Besides, WiFi 7 is expected to install key improvements compared to previous versions such as WiFi 6, WiFi 5 and WiFi 4, aimed at addressing many of the vulnerabilities and limitations associated with these technologies in terms of security and performance.
Cirion Senior Director, Product, Innovation and Strategic Alliances revealed that “WiFi 7 is designed to include more advanced security protocols and enhanced encryption capabilities for cyberthreat protection, e.g., not only more robust security standards, such as WPA3, -which offers stronger encryption and improved protection against brute force attacks- but threat detection and prevention as well, such as phishing, ransomware, and data interception. This might include the ability to automatically identify and mitigate suspicious network activity, as well as the capacity to block or isolate compromised devices to prevent threats from spreading,” among other possibilities, he concluded.
Jul 2, 2024
- End users’ experience connecting to the Internet depends on the Autonomous System to which their service provider is connected.
- According to a topological, data-based ranking by ASRank, Cirion’s Autonomous Internet System (ASN) 3356 ranks in the first place.[1]
The Internet is a massive global network of interconnected networks, which connects computing systems around the world and enables information exchange, data transmission, online resources and services access, as well as instant communication and real-time collaboration. For this service to reach an end user, Internet providers connect to this global infrastructure and receive an Autonomous System Number (ASN). For Latin America, assignments are made by the Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Center (LACNIC).
The ASN is a numerical identifier assigned to each provider engaged in data routing on the network. “This system is of the essence for an efficient and secure Internet performance, facilitating data traffic management and routing. Cirion Technologies is one of the Tier-1 providers in Latin America through ASN 3356, amongst the most extensive ones, with a set of IP addresses and a large number of interconnections, which enables companies, governments, cloud service providers, carriers, ISPs and other Latin American leading companies to connect to the world directly, without depending on other providers,” said Rubén Gutiérrez, Lead Product Manager at Cirion.
The four key benefits provided by a Tier 1 ASN are:
- Robust connectivity: A high-quality ASN should have robust and reliable connectivity, both at a domestic and international level. This entails redundant connections in place, with multiple Internet providers and peering points to ensure stable, high-speed connectivity for your customers.
- Low latency: Data can travel quickly and efficiently between points of origin and destination. Providing low latencies is critical for latency-sensitive applications such as real-time videos, online gaming, and financial applications.
- Scalability: Internet providers need to scale to meet their customers’ growing demand for bandwidth and services. Having a flexible and scalable network infrastructure in place, allows for traffic spikes management and adjustment to changing market needs.
- Security: A Tier-1 ASN must have an implemented RPKI to ensure the authenticity of the routes announced.
This mechanism prevents route hijacking and protects networks from malicious or mis-originated announcements, reducing chances of security breaches. Additionally, to ensure network security and protect your customers’ confidential data, a set of managed security services is available to allow implementation of robust security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data encryption.
“Although two Internet providers delivering 10 Mbps speeds might seem apparently identical, this is not entirely true, since user experience may vary depending on latency; e.g.; major videogame providers connect directly to Cirion through ASN 3356; and therefore, they gain lower latency. This means that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the region -connected to Cirion’s network- will experience an effortless traffic flow to these online services. Consequently, end users will enjoy a smooth and seamless gaming experience,” concluded Cirion’s expert.
[1] Data obtained from the web: https://asrank.caida.org/ | Considering that three different organizations deliver services using the same autonomous system (AS) 3356 as Tier 1: Cirion, Lumen, and Colt.
Jun 27, 2024
CDNs ensure high-quality, seamless streaming for large-scale sporting events such as the 2024 Copa América, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, efficiently managing traffic spikes and offering global coverage.
With the start of the 2024 Copa América 2024 and the awaited 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the streaming technology behind these events becomes more relevant. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) play a significant role ensuring that millions of viewers worldwide have access to a seamless, high-quality viewing experience via streaming.
Improving Viewer Experience
According to Rubén Gutiérrez, Lead Product Manager at Cirion Technologies, one of the best-known advantages of CDNs is latency reduction for live streaming. “If there is an event in a faraway geographic location, such as Brazil or France, the output signal is distributed globally through a distributed network interconnected to the Internet, which allows meeting viewers’ needs from servers close to their location,” said Gutiérrez. This means that, instead of managing streaming from the point of origin, Edge distribution servers deliver content over the Internet locally, significantly reducing delivery time and improving video and audio quality.
Scalability and Traffic Management
Sporting events usually raise significant traffic peaks, and it’s just here where CDNs prove their true value. “TV channels can normally have 10,000 users simultaneously connected; however during an important match, that number can rise up to 200,000,” says Gutiérrez. CDNs allow efficient scalation to manage this sudden demand surge, distributing loads across multiple servers and ensuring good performance for all users.
Global Distribution and High Availability
Another key advantage is their global content distribution capacity. Gutiérrez remarks that CDNs not only operate in a specific country but are able to stream events via internet to audiences around the globe. “A local sailing championship, for example, could be broadcast globally, allowing Peruvian citizens in Madrid to follow local sporting events in near real time,” he added.
Additionally, CDNs ensure high content availability, balancing loads between servers to prevent overloads and ensuring content seamless access for users.
Content Adaptability
CDNs have evolved significantly, adopting new streaming protocols such as HLS and DASH, which enable better content adaptability. “These protocols allow automatic system self-regulation, providing an improved user experience without manual intervention,” continued Gutiérrez.
For example, a user may be watching a soccer match on their mobile, using the network, which has very small bandwidth; but once at home they continue watching the same game from their home Wi-Fi network. Streaming will automatically detect the higher bandwidth available and increase consumption to gain better visibility.
Benefits for Retail and Cable Companies
Live streaming and VOD (Video On Demand) are primarily the types of content that companies require the most when hiring CDN services in Peru. These services enable effective scalability and high availability, critical for sporting events streaming and other contents where high traffic volumes are required. However, in the retail sector, companies are also using CDNs to deliver faster and more reliable online shopping experiences by quickly loading product images and videos.
Gutiérrez points out that “in the retail sector, many companies’ websites offer their products adding photos or videos on how to use said products; e.g., a microwave oven. The CDN ensures that this content is delivered quickly and seamlessly, improving user experience and increasing chances of conversion.”
Thanks to its widespread CDN network in Latin America and its global alliances, Cirion Technologies delivers an extensive and robust coverage, capable of handling large traffic volumes and ensuring high availability of content. “Cirion owns a broad CDN Network throughout Latin America and is strategically allied to companies such as Qwilt and Tata Communications, thus enhancing our network and global service capacity”, highlighted Gutiérrez.
This collaboration not only improves content delivery capacity. It also provides dedicated technical support during high-demand events. “Our operators monitor and manage live events, ensuring that all technical aspects are working appropriately and responding quickly to any incidents,” he added.
With the Copa América and the Olympic Games ahead, TV channels and cable companies can benefit from CDNs to provide a superior user experience and efficient, reliable content distribution.
