Telefónica Digital is making Wi-Fi a core component of its IPTV services in Europe and Latin America, through an investment in technology firm Quantenna.
The newly-formed division of Spanish incumbent Telefonica joins seven other Quantenna backers, and will seek to leverage the Wi-Fi firm’s technology to deliver high-quality video to multiple devices in the home.
Chief Matthew Key says the investment – which was handled by venture capital arm Telefónica Ventures-, is a key part of the division’s strategy to increase its capabilities “to succeed in the digital space.” Quantenna’s technology will play a central role in the firm’s “growth strategy for IPTV deployments,” he adds.
Quantenna has developed a range of 5GHz chipsets that can deliver up to 600Mbps of bandwidth, which Telefonica claims offers the reliability and speed to cope with new services like high-definition video, which consume large chunks of network bandwidth. Telefonica’s chief technology officer Enrique Blanco says upgraded Wi-Fi connections are also required as operators roll out 100G fiber networks, which presents a “looming capability gap between fixed and wireless networks.”