BBVA to roll out WiFi 6 across its corporate headquarters
BBVA Group will gradually roll out the next generation of wireless connection technology — WiFi 6 — across its corporate offices in Spain and Portugal. The bank thus becomes one of the first Spanish financial companies to adopt the technology, which will provide faster browsing speeds and greater coverage to complement 5G.
The sixth generation of wireless technology, WiFi 6, boasts many advantages. On one hand, it provides improved connection speeds, greater coverage, and a significant increase in the device density it can handle. At the same time, it provides greater security and allows for better energy consumption management. In addition, the technology will dovetail with 5G, facilitating the roll-out of sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT) and the creation of immersive, augmented virtual reality experiences.
As part of its commitment to technology, BBVA has decided to integrate this new type of connectivity throughout its corporate offices in Spain and Portugal. The roll-out of the new infrastructure will occur over the course of this year and through the middle of 2021.
“In addition, the deployment of this new generation of WiFi will be key in a totally mobile, well-running ecosystem, going hand-in-hand with 5G connectivity. With it, we are moving closer to the fulfillment of our strategic objectives, leveraging technology and data in order to create opportunities for our customers, but also contributing to the operational excellence of our teams,” Victor Asensi Minguell, BBVA Spain’s head of IT Infrastructure & Operations, said.
In 2019, BBVA began to deploy a 5G network across its corporate office in Madrid for the exclusive use of the bank. The network will provide the bank and its customers the advantages and advances that the new technology represents. WiFi 6 will make it possible to enjoy the benefits of 5G in the bank’s interior spaces, in meeting rooms and offices; it is hoped that the combination of the two technologies will feed the creation of new services and digital experiences.
How will the bank use it?
All the advantages of WiFi 6 will translate into improved corporate wireless communications, which will be faster, more secure, and more reliable. This investment represents a sure bet for the bank because its buildings were designed to cater to wireless connection models that keep the need for physical cables to access internal resources — the intranet, printers, and other equipment — to a minimum.
Thus, the Group’s employees will be able to experience faster browsing speeds and better wifi coverage at the office, and with a significant reduction in latency, meaning better response times from network-connected services. As a result of these benefits, there will be a marked improvement in the delivery of high quality video conferencing, the use of cloud-based applications, and while receiving remote training.
Furthermore, this technology will help ensure minimized resolution times to potential incidents and will also help the bank reduce the energy consumed by its devices, thus contributing to meeting the bank's sustainability targets.