The Finnish telecoms giant, Nokia, has rebranded and expanded its home wifi software suite, formerly named Wi-Fi Cloud Controller. The rechristened software is now known as Corteca, and it comes with fresh features designed to offer a holistic solution in managing home wifi networks.
Corteca Cloud is an integral component of the suite, a smartly hosted controller that provides a comprehensive interface for managing home wifi networks. It also keeps track of the devices that connect to these networks, boasting a special version precisely for monitoring fixed-wireless access(FWA) performance.
Another key part of the suite is the Corteca Device Software. It propels Nokia’s diverse range of broadband devices, including fibre and FWA gateways as well as mesh wifi beacons. This feature comes bundled with a mobile application, giving end users the capability to set up and manage their devices independently.
In a thrilling development set to unfold later in the year, Nokia will introduce the Corteca Marketplace. Telecommunication companies have long tried to persuade their customers to add various value-added services(VaS) to their basic subscriptions, mostly without success. The Corteca Marketplace offers a microservices-led solution by introducing try-before-you-buy applications. These applications, if well-priced, may be a welcome new revenue source for operators.
Remarkably, this marketplace is designed to enhance the overall in-home broadband experience. This enhancement may be specific services like video streaming, gaming, or remote working, for example.
Nokia’s launch of the rebranded suite comes at a time when over 40% of households report dissatisfaction with their in-home connectivity. According to Nokia, telecom companies are still haunted by issues such as complicated installation processes, limited interoperability, inconsistent coverage, and dead zones.
“Providing an unparalleled broadband user experience in the home has long been a challenge that operators continue to grapple with today,” commented Michael Philpott, research director, Digital Consumer Services at Omdia. “Navigating the complex terrain of single Wi-Fi interfaces, device compatibility and user behaviour requires technical expertise and customer-centric solutions.
Philpott further noted that successfully managing devices in the home and delivering value applications targeting unique customer needs can be a game changer. This can drive enhanced user experiences and generate additional revenue.
Recent trials of Corteca confirm Nokia’s claim of its software’s efficacy, reporting a whopping 70% improvement in peak-hour Wi-Fi throughput. The trials also found that it halved the average call handling times.
Furthermore, the updated Corteca suite maximizes the use of open standards to facilitate compatibility with a wide array of hardware and service providers. Justin Doucette, head of Wi-Fi for Fixed Networks and Broadband Devices at Nokia, highlighted the significance of this change. “Similar to what the PC market and the mobile phone market did in the past, the CPE market is systematically separating the application from the operating system to empower developers, enable operators, and delight users,” Doucette noted.
