With nearly 18 billion Wi-Fi devices expected to be in use around the world this year, and more than 4 billion additional devices expect to ship before 2023[1], it’s very clear that the industry should be excited for the momentum that Wi-Fi has in 2022. With the emergence and large-scale adoption of technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz) and WBA OpenRoaming™, we can expect sectors such as Smart Cities, Public Wi-Fi, Guest Wi-Fi, In-Home Wi-Fi , Enterprise Wi-Fi and more to experience digital growth and innovation on a grander scale than we’ve ever seen before. And here at the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), we believe that our organization and membership is uniquely positioned to play a significant role in this growth and innovation in 2022 and beyond. To that end, I would like to take this opportunity as CEO of the WBA to provide a brief overview of our key focuses for the year ahead.
Tiago Rodrigues – CEO, Wireless Broadband Alliance
WBA’s Key Focuses in 2022
- Wi-Fi 6E Momentum
There is arguably no new technology that’s more exciting than Wi-Fi 6E, which is taking the promise of Wi-Fi 6 and building on it exponentially through access to the 6 GHz spectrum. At the recent CES 2022, the proliferation of Wi-Fi 6E equipment was made abundantly clear, and WBA members such as Broadcom Inc., Comcast and Intel Corporation already setting Wi-Fi 6E trends that the rest of the industry will soon follow. In addition, 30+ countries around the world have already opened or are considering opening the 6 GHz spectrum band for unlicensed use, with many more expected to follow in 2022. Not only does this ensure that Wi-Fi 6E is well on its way to being a widespread technology, it also is laying a foundational path for Wi-Fi 7. Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems in the U.S. will set the benchmark for the rest of the world to protect incumbent 6 GHz operations and provide a fair use of the 6Ghz spectrum, and these are expected to be operational in 2022. WBA will continue to take a lead role in promoting and accelerating Wi-Fi 6E adoption through 6E Trials Program and Guidelines, and we also plan to position ourselves as an AFC operator in the U.S.
- OpenRoaming
OpenRoaming adoption is growing at a very fast pace and continues to revolutionize the way the people connect to public Wi-Fi. This game-changing roaming federation provides auto-connection, security, privacy and interoperable Wi-Fi in public locations, making roaming across Wi-Fi hotspots frictionless and easy for all.
The benefits of OpenRoaming can be enjoyed by operators, municipalities, communities, cities, businesses, and consumers/end-users – in short, it allows for Wi-Fi to be better and easier to enjoy, while at the same time allowing for easy onboarding for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and IoT devices. This makes it a critical technology for students, working professionals, frequent travelers, and more! Expect to see lots of news on OpenRoaming deployments throughout 2022, and be sure to keep an eye out for OpenRoaming networks to connect to when you’re traveling through airports, enjoying large events at stadiums, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee in your favorite café!
- Wi-Fi 6 / 6E / OpenRoaming Convergence with 5G and Private Cellular
It’s never been more logical or necessary for the many different industry players to focus on Multi-RAN strategies – in particular, how Wi-Fi 6/6E can improve the business case for 5G (New Radio) and Private Cellular.
With Wi-Fi 6/6E and technologies like OpenRoaming enabling auto-onboarding and roaming capabilities, and with a defined quality of service (QoS) for policy management, Wi-Fi is now more capable than ever of acting as an extension and/or complementing of 5G/Private Cellular technologies to deliver Gigabit Speeds, ultra-low latency, low cost of deployment and massive device adoption. At the same time, this convergence creates many business opportunities for a larger set of companies and organizations to innovate and explore current and new use cases.
For the last 2+ years, the world has had to adapt to a ‘new normal’ due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to find new, safe ways to work, entertain and connect with others, there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel, and before we know it, we’ll be able to return to face-to-face interactions, travelling, events and more, with connectivity playing a key role in keeping us all connected in more ways than one. It’s interesting to reflect back on the last 2 years and realize that the WBA hosted the last face-to-face Wi-Fi event in January 2020 (the Asia Telecom Summit in Singapore), and this past January, we also hosted the first face-to-face Wi-Fi event since then, with our Wireless Global Congress (WGC) Asia event in Dubai, UAE. It’s been a long road to get to where we are today, and even though things may never be exactly as they were pre-COVID, we’re very excited to be returning to a state of relative normalcy this year. And now, looking ahead at 2022 and beyond, I would like to reinforce the fact that the WBA will continue to help make connectivity, including Wi-Fi, more available, sustainable, accessible, and greener than ever before. I’m also pleased to extend an invitation to our next event: WGC Americas, taking place in Chicago on 6-9 June, 2022. Click here for more information, and I look forward to working and speaking with many of you over the next few months!
