By: Jacob Chacko, Regional Director – Middle East, Saudi & South Africa at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shift towards hybrid working has pushed the issue of connectivity to the forefront of the business agenda. As of January 2021, 59.5% of the global population is using an internet connection.
The pandemic has caused rapid acceleration of digital transformation initiatives across sectors, and with it a host of new connectivity challenges that have yet to besolved. Increased video conferencing, a greater reliance on cloud operations, and the rising threat of cybersecurity attacks, combine to represent a maelstrom of potential network issues. The answer to these challenges may well be Wi-Fi 6E.
The ‘E’ in Wi-Fi 6E stands for ‘Extended’. The Wi-Fi in use today operates within two bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. But as Wi-Fi has become more pervasive, so too have the limitations of these spectrums. Recent studies have illustrated that pinch points mainly exist in city centres and areas where housing is particularly dense. The 2.4 GHz band has been shown to be highly congested and even the 5GHz band has started to struggle due to the large number of Wi-Fi radios that are operating within a smaller space on limited channels. This is where Wi-Fi 6E comes in.
Wi-Fi 6E uses a third band – 6GHz – and extends the same Wi-Fi 6 capabilities into it, enabling far greater efficiency, increased throughput, and tighter security. The extension into this band essentially doubles the amount of frequency that is available to devices and users. While not the only solution – the rollout of 5G is a noteworthy answer to connectivity issues – Wi-Fi 6E gives an organization far greater control over how their data is treated, and it is also cheaper to boot. Adoption of Wi-Fi 6E, and the less congested airways, broader channels, and increased connectivity that comes with it, will enable greater success within existing parameters and catalyze future innovations.
As a solution, Wi-Fi 6E is gaining momentum. Seventy countries with a total population of 3.4 billion people have approved or had 6 GHz regulations under consideration, and more than 350 million Wi-Fi 6E capable devices are expected to be sold in 2022.
The speed of adoption reflects the mood of the moment. With digital transformation non-discriminately gripping all industries, the move to the cloud has accelerated. The cloud computing market is expected to grow from $371.4 billion in 2020, to $832.1 billion by 2025. Additionally, the remarkable growth of the IoT market, expected to hit $1.6 trillion by 2025, means that as devices continue on their path to connectivity and interaction, networks must do more than ever before.
While Wi-Fi 6E presents solutions to burgeoning network problems, as global momentum grows, the extra band should serve to alleviate pressure and not simply become the next overused and clogged network. With this in mind, here are some very specific use cases that Wi-Fi 6E is best placed to accommodate.
As the world prepares for Wi-Fi 6E, business leaders must look to how this additional networking capacity can support their own digital transformation journey. Here are six key strategies to get the most out of Wi-Fi 6E and help future-proof Wi-Fi investments.
Ultimately, when congestion on Wi-Fi networks increases, the user experience suffers. And even as normality slowly returns across the world, it’s uncertain what form it will take. What is certain, though, is that the digital transformation that has been rolled-out is here to stay – and we will continue to rely heavily on the connections we’ve made over the course of the pandemic, whether at home, school, the office, or public spaces.
Organizations have already witnessed the compelling results of all this connectivity, such as greater efficiencies and a more refined implementation of data. Looking ahead, Wi-Fi 6E offers even more opportunities for them to transform their businesses and deliver compelling end-user experiences. The choice is obvious.