Public access Wi-Fi has stormed back onto mobile operators’ agendas as mobile data traffic growth has prompted them to seek ways of reducing the load on the radio access network. However, we believe that this renewed interest, and shift of emphasis from voice, will not lead to a flurry of public access Wi-Fi network building. Indeed, public access Wi-Fi can be useful to operators if they have it, but will not be essential in the long term if they do not.
