Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia will acquire Unium, a US-based software-defined tactical communication firm whose networking solutions are used in mission-critical and residential Wi-Fi. With this acquisition Nokia will be able to bolster its whole-home Wi-Fi portfolio by integrating Unium's software and intelligent mesh wireless technology. Both the firms did not close the amount.

Unium was founded in 2002 and is a privately held company located in Seattle, Washington. The planned transaction is expected to close in Q1 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. Unium has been known for offering intelligent mesh, band steering, fast roaming and a choice of Wi-Fi or Ethernet backhaul. It measures wireless performance in real time, and dynamically adjusts the network to improve the user's coverage and capacity with the help of software.

With Nokia adding Unium capability, the service providers will have better visibility into the network and that will reduce the time and complexity to solve network problems. Nokia meshed Wi-Fi solutions include a wide array of entry level Gateways and Beacons that consumers can install throughout the home to create an intelligent mesh, extend coverage and boost performance. Beacons quickly guide each device to the nearest or fastest access point, and ensure an optimal path through the network.

“We look forward to having the Unium team join us. The home networking market is booming and whole-home Wi-Fi is a key enabler for this. Today's Wi-Fi solutions still have serious issues with sticky clients, interference, coverage gaps and capacity issues. With Unium inside, our Nokia Wi-Fi solution will deliver an unmatched user experience, going beyond what standard mesh Wi-Fi solutions deliver today,” said Federico Guillén, president of Nokia's Fixed Networks business group.

Martha Bejar, CEO at Unium said, “Nokia is a global leader in creating customer-centric solutions and is at the heart of our connected world. The Unium team is excited to join Nokia and drive a unique and innovative customer experience through our intelligent Wi-Fi solution, making every customer-touch better.”