Worldwide Wi-Fi voice over IP (VoIP) handset revenue totalled $54.7 million in 2004 and the number of units shipped reached 143,000, according to a new report from Infonetics Research. It also predicts strong growth at least through to 2009 as steady adoption of voice over Wi-Fi continues. Infonetics has found that worldwide dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellular handset revenue hit $6.7 million in 2004, adding that Wi-Fi capability will eventually become a common feature in mobile phones, just as it is becoming standard in laptops today. Although Wi-Fi VoIP handsets represent a small market at present, it has great potential. In logistics and healthcare verticals in particular, voice over wireless local area networks is already gaining momentum and is likely to become widespread throughout the enterprise as VoIP and wireless LAN adoption continue. The Infonetics report suggests that there is potential for enormous growth in the consumer space, as VoIP services and wireless gateways are bundled with a broadband connection. It says that more dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellular handsets will reach the market, enabling enterprise users to roam across 3G networks, home networks, corporate wireless LANs, and Wi-Fi hotspots.
The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...