Ever wished your home had been built with WiFi access in mind to avoid dead zones and other types of poor functionality? Plenty of people probably have, and recent news indicates it’s something a growing number of homebuilders want to tackle.
The WiFi Alliance announced a certification program this week that it says brings professionally designed, builder-installed WiFi networks to new homes dubbed “WiFi Certified Home Design.” The requirements reportedly consider the increasing number of smart home devices expected in homes over the next decade, and the growing demand for data-intensive usages such as virtual reality and simultaneous 4K video streams. The Alliance reports the program will scale to accommodate both the growth in WiFi devices and high bandwidth.
WiFi Home Design provides home builders with an industry-approved network installation plan based on “exacting WiFi deployment guidelines,” the Alliance reports. The guidelines define criteria for access point (APs) placement to eliminate dead spots and deliver strong WiFi coverage throughout the entire home and outdoor spaces, including garages and patios. It also is said to enables reliable connections in home environments with many client devices and provides great integration with connected smart home products including WiFi voice-activated wireless speakers, security cameras, door locks, light bulbs, thermostats, and appliances.
“We are committed to a great user experience for our WiFi fans in all areas of their lives, and we now bring our expertise in developing certification programs to residential home WiFi network design,” Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of WiFi Alliance, comments. “Homes that are certified for WiFi Home Design provide whole-home WiFi coverage with professionally designed networks that are ready for demanding applications.”
U.S. homebuilder Lennar will be the first to off offer new homes featuring WiFi Certified Home Design. Lennar next month as it begins offering Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Home Design as a standard feature as part of its Everything’s Included program – which also includes smart home technology and wireless entertainment powered by some of the world’s top consumer brands.
“CableLabs is excited about the rollout of the WiFi Certified Home Design certification program, as it will help bring Enterprise-class WiFi performance to the home. A major focus of ours is standardized internet service delivery to and throughout the home and this program gives new WiFi Certified Home Design homeowners a professionally designed Wi-Fi network,” Josh Redmore, lead architect for wireless at CableLabs, says.
More information is here.
