By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas

Nokia  Tuesday announced the launch of Corteca, a new end-to-end home connectivity software for broadband devices that will enable service providers to significantly enhance customer experiences, generate new revenues and reduce operational costs.

Service providers are bringing multi-gigabit speeds to the home, but more than 40 per cent of households are reporting issues with in-home connectivity. Operators remain challenged by today’s in-home Wi-Fi solutions, plagued by complex installation processes, limited interoperability, inconsistent coverage and dead zones that lead to frustrated subscribers.

Nokia’s Corteca addresses these challenges, providing a combination of advanced Wi-Fi performance and devices in the home along with effective customer support tools and proactive monitoring in the cloud. In recent customer trials, Nokia’s Corteca solution increased peak hour Wi-Fi throughput by 70 per cent and reduced average handling time of helpdesk calls by 50 per cent.

Nokia Corteca home connectivity software consists of:

Corteca Cloud: an intelligent controller with a “single pane of glass” interface to manage both home Wi-Fi networks, and network-wide broadband device deployments.

Corteca Applications: a marketplace with value-added applications so service providers can generate new sources of revenue.

Corteca Device Software: powering Nokia’s growing line-up of broadband devices for Fiber and FWA gateways and mesh Wi-Fi beacons.

The Corteca Cloud, formerly known as the WiFi Cloud Controller, introduces a new marketplace to deliver Corteca Applications. This gives service providers access to a catalog of value-added, revenue generating services. The marketplace allows operators to try applications before purchasing and centrally manage what is made available to their subscribers. Corteca Applications cover a variety of uses cases, including enhanced security, intelligent device fingerprinting, gaming optimization, and more. In addition, Nokia has opened up the marketplace to an eco-system of 3rd party developers to bring additional value-added applications to the market.

Nokia’s Corteca Device Software runs on the in-home broadband and Wi-Fi devices and works in real-time with cloud-based operations to monitor and manage the end-user experience. Nokia combines open-source software with industry standards and is the first vendor to provide seamless communications and management for multi-vendor mesh Wi-Fi and devices. The Corteca Device Software also provides a container application framework to isolate and applications from the underlying operating system. It allows operators to seamlessly run, manage, and dynamically update applications independent of the device software to reduce costs.

Research Director, Digital Consumer Services at Omdia, Michael Philpott said: “Providing an unparalleled broadband user experience in the home has long been a challenge that operators continue to grapple with today. Navigating the complex terrain of single Wi-Fi interfaces, device compatibility and user behavior requires a harmonious symphony of technical expertise and customer-centric solutions. Having the ability to both manage the devices in the home and deliver value applications that can be targeted to each unique customer can be a game changer for operators seeking to drive enhanced user experiences and generate additional revenue.”

Head of Wi-Fi for Fixed Networks Broadband Devices at Nokia, Justin Doucette said: “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 in order to empower developers, enable operators, and delight users. The key is a unique and truly open approach – with no vendor lock-in and the ability to onboard and integrate with 3rd parties.”

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.