Skip to main content

Private 5G Networks and Enterprise Wi-Fi Converge

The global enterprise wireless networking market is evolving. Driven by a desire to take advantage of the available 6 GHz communications spectrum, with greatly improved broadband throughput and latency rates, more organizations may choose to adopt Wi-Fi 6E technologies.

According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, shipments of Wi-Fi 6E access points and routers will rise from 1.5 million units in 2022 to 5.2 million units by 2024.

Wireless spectrum expansion is just one facet of the commercial wireless network market transition, as the technology of Wi-Fi customer premise equipment will be upgraded once again with Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be standard) devices.

Enterprise Wireless Network Market Development

"The adoption of Wi-Fi 7 access points will accelerate following the protocols standardization in 2024, and just two years later, most 6 GHz enabled access point shipments will be supporting Wi-Fi 7," said Andrew Spivey, industry analyst at ABI Research.

Another area of focus is Information technology and operations technology (IT/OT) convergence. While a large chasm remains between the two enterprise domains, strategies to pursue convergence are beginning to materialize, which will stimulate further Wi-Fi innovation.

According to the ABI assessment, one of the most impactful developments in the wireless communications sector will be the maturing of the convergence of Wi-Fi and 5G private cellular networks.

"We are now transitioning to a world in which it is not only technically possible for Wi-Fi and cellular to coexist in the same private network, but one that is becoming a vital solution in many applications," Spivey says.

The next-generation private communication network solutions of the future will be those that can leverage the latest wireless technologies in an interoperable and easily manageable solution.

Private networks that incorporate both Wi-Fi and 5G stand to benefit from the best of both technologies -- from 5G’s ultra-low latency, extended range, improved security, better reliability, and Wi-Fi’s reduced deployment costs and complexity, plus generational backward compatibility.

ABI analysts believe that converged private networks will not be adopted across the board. Traditional carpeted IT enterprises will continue to rely upon familiar and trustworthy Wi-Fi technology, as will verticals that operate in predominantly indoor environments with few mission-critical applications -- notably education, hospitality, and retail.

On the other side of the spectrum, industries spanning vast outdoor environments, such as agriculture, will be better suited for 5G private cellular network solutions that can cover large areas economically.

According to Spivey, "The sweet spot for converged networks will be those industries which have a high reliance upon mission-critical applications that require long ranges and ultra-low levels of latency." 

The three industry verticals which have been identified as having the greatest potential for Wi-Fi and 5G converged private networks penetration are industrial manufacturing, warehousing, and healthcare.

The best-suited applications are span Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), AMR visual fusion, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR).

Outlook for Converged Wireless Network Apps

"Wi-Fi innovation over the next half-decade will be multi-faceted, spanning both protocol and spectrum upgrades on one hand, to new applications of the technology and advancements in cellular convergence on the other,” Spivey concludes.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these developments is vital for IT and enterprise networking vendors at all levels of the supply chain. That said, the transition away from legacy Wi-Fi technologies toward Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 will likely require a significant investment in new infrastructure.

CIOs and CTOs will consider any planned in-office wireless network investment with the knowledge that their organization's CHRO may already recommend a reassessment. The trend toward flexible working models, and an increase in work-from-home options, could reduce commercial real estate demand -- and therefore impact corporate networking needs.

Popular posts from this blog

How Savvy Pioneers Lead the Future of Work

Hybrid and fully remote work are inevitable in the Global Networked Economy where high-performance talent demands flexibility from employers. To enable these progressive work models, organizations are investing in a wide range of technologies to support more agile types of employment.  According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), leading organizations will spend nearly $1 billion on the Future of Work (FoW) in 2023 -- that's an increase of 18.8 percent over 2022. Future of Work Market Development "Work models continue to evolve, but 37 percent of decision-makers in a recent global survey note that Remote and Hybrid work models will be an embedded part of accepted work practices, supported by a continued shift to the cloud, increasingly instrumented and interconnected physical workplaces, and intelligent digital workspaces," said Holly Muscolino, group vice president at IDC . According to the IDC assessment, organizations must mak

Human Resource Transformation Enabled by IT

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p

Global EV Charging Revenue to Exceed $300B

During 2022, fuel prices increased very quickly, partly due to a number of macroeconomic reasons. In fact, the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still impacting fuel prices, with many oil refineries having reduced capacity due to a prior fall in demand. Those significant events and other trends have created a demand for a growing variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs). While EVs have existed for decades, they really became a viable option for more consumers during the past five years. However, although EVs are suitable for some buyer needs, their usability is constrained by the current availability of battery charging infrastructure. EV Charging Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue from electric vehicle charging will exceed $300 billion globally by 2027 -- that's up from $66 billion in 2023. Regardless, the Juniper analysis found that fragmentation in battery charging networks is restricting further EV adoption in some