2021: Connectivity disruptors
From 5G to Wi-Fi 6, connectivity has provided the industry with new opportunities for communication and changed the way we receive information. As I like to say, the opportunities are really endless. This can help us end poverty, inequality, water scarcity, hunger, etc. Let us take a closer look at what is happening in the vast interconnected world-the disruptors in this field-to reveal what will happen in the next century.
According to a report released by Deloitte last year, only three out of ten respondents currently regard 5G or Wi-Fi 6 as the three key technologies-but this situation is about to change. In the next three years, the importance of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 is expected to more than double, becoming the most critical wireless technologies for organizations. In the same period, the importance of 4G/LTE and older versions of Wi-Fi may decrease, but they will continue to exist. As we have seen in its predecessors 2G and 3G, 4G and 5G networks are expected to coexist and play a good role in the world of connected devices at least in the next few years.
We start with Wi-Fi this week, and then explore 5G next week. In the short term, Wi-Fi has played a key role in helping to reduce the negative impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It reduces the impact of social isolation and enables companies to move services online. We have already witnessed how interconnection maintains rapid economic development. As part of its Wi-Fi forecast for 2021, the Wi-Fi Alliance believes that Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, Passpoint and other Wi-Fi technologies will drive a surge in technological innovation and continue after the flu pandemic.
First, let's take a deeper look at Wi-Fi 6. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi 6 as the latest generation of Wi-Fi, which provides greater capacity, efficiency and performance for advanced connections. Wi-Fi 6 will be widely adopted globally on personal computers, access points, smartphones, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices in businesses, homes, and public places. Here, companies can expect huge growth. Think about the estimated shipments of nearly 2 billion Wi-Fi 6 devices in 2021.
What follows is an opportunity for vertical markets, especially industrial and hospital networks, because Wi-Fi 6 provides low-latency connections. In places such as transportation hubs, airports, and stadiums, new uses are naturally needed to help meet health and safety guidelines to provide necessary social distance measurement, health check screening, etc. It also opens up opportunities for higher bandwidth applications, such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and even holographic video. We will definitely see use cases in areas such as telemedicine, education, etc., because these vertical areas rely on speed and latency.
Companies generally can also use wireless to improve communications in the workplace. For example, in the office, Wi-Fi 6 can increase the speed of voice and video applications. As employees work from home, companies can also use advanced wireless technology to increase remote productivity. In the Deloitte report, respondents indicated that they prefer to use Wi-Fi 6 for indoor, fixed and campus use cases, while outdoor and mobile use 5G.
The other drivers and obstacles of Wi-Fi 6 need to be addressed here. For example, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, regulatory momentum around 6 GHz will lead to an increase in the availability of unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi worldwide in 2021. The United States recently approved unlicensed access to the 1200 MHz spectrum in the 6 GHz band. The United Kingdom, Europe, South Korea, Chile, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates are expected to provide their citizens with the 6 GHz frequency band before the end of this year, and many other countries are following suit. The Wi-Fi Alliance predicts that as multiple vendors adopt 6 GHz, users will see Wi-Fi 6 devices being launched globally.
Another factor to keep in mind is the latest generation of Wi-Fi security, WPA3, which brings critical updates to personal and corporate networks to protect users. The Wi-Fi Alliance now requires all new Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices to support WPA3 security. By 2021, the industry will see more devices, networks and environments (including sensitive environments such as governments and financial institutions) adopting WPA3. Another trend worthy of attention is solutions such as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpot, which will help bridge the gap between cellular and Wi-Fi and make Wi-Fi more accessible and secure.
But we also need to focus on the future-the future may be Wi-Fi 7. One thing is certain, all the work done by Wi-Fi 6 is preparing for Wi-Fi 7, which is expected to come out in a few years.
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