Anticipated developments in Wi-Fi technology for the year 2016
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, 2016 marked a significant leap forward for Wi-Fi, with groundbreaking developments reshaping the way we connect.
Virgin took the lead in the UK, unveiling the country's first 'smart pavement' in Chesham, offering unlimited Wi-Fi speeds of up to 166Mbps. Access points were hidden beneath manhole covers and inside street lamps, ensuring a seamless and ubiquitous connection for residents and visitors alike.
As we entered 2016, the landscape of network connections began to shift dramatically. Wi-Fi traffic was set to surpass mobile carrier traffic and continue to outstrip mobile connections at an accelerating pace. This trend extended to basic home and office devices, with printers expected to make the move to wireless connections.
These developments were not limited to consumer devices. Companies like Xirrus, a leading Wi-Fi solutions provider, highlighted several key trends for 2016. Among them were advancements in smart home technology, professional sports events, voice and video, ultra-fast Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) traffic.
The smart home became more mainstream due to significant advances in Wi-Fi speed, capacity, and reliability. The 802.11ac Wave 2 standard emerged as the new norm for client devices and Wi-Fi infrastructure. This standard promised to deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and better quality of service, paving the way for a more connected home.
The deployment of ultra-fast Wi-Fi in public locations also increased, amplifying expectations for safe, simple, and secure access to Wi-Fi in major public spaces. This development was particularly crucial for audience participation at sporting fixtures, where forward-thinking stadium owners focused on density and capacity to deliver high-grade Wi-Fi service.
The rise of Wi-Fi was not limited to traditional devices. Storage synchronisation with popular cloud-based applications such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud increased dramatically, as did the amount of Wi-Fi-enabled IoT traffic. However, this surge presented a challenge for access management, as many Wi-Fi-enabled IoT devices lacked the ability to log into captive portals.
In the next 12 months, the number of people using Wi-Fi to make calls and send video was expected to increase significantly. Mobile carriers had already significantly increased their Wi-Fi footprint, and the most advanced Wi-Fi-enabled phones now offered seamless in-call switching between 4G and Wi-Fi networks.
Looking ahead, 2016 saw a major uptake of the 802.11ax and 60GHz technologies across a range of products, leading to an increase in autonomous and independent wireless devices in the home. However, this trend also presented new challenges, such as the inability of devices like the Apple Watch to connect to corporate networks or guest networks due to lack of support for 802.1x and the absence of a browser capability.
As we move forward, Wi-Fi vendors will need to create new access management capabilities to accommodate the expected 10 billion Machine-to-Machine devices that lack the ability to connect on captive portals by 2020. The future of Wi-Fi is undeniably exciting, with countless possibilities for innovation and connection.
Wi-Fi developments in 2016 not only improved consumer devices but also expanded into various sectors, such as smart home technology and the Internet of Things (IoT). For instance, companies like Xirrus emphasized advancements in these areas, expecting ultra-fast Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi-enabled IoT traffic to become widespread.
The deployment of ultra-fast Wi-Fi in public locations also surged, with a focus on providing safe, simple, and secure access in major public spaces. This was notably significant for crowd-heavy events, like sporting fixtures, where high-grade Wi-Fi service was essential to enhance audience participation.
