World Wi-Fi Day / About
ABOUT
Did you know there are more than 4 billion people around the world with no internet access?
World Wi-Fi Day takes place on June 20th each year, and is a global initiative to help bridge the digital divide.
Access to the internet provides people in developed and developing countries the opportunity to increase their economic growth, improve their social mobility and computer literacy as well as enrich their education prospects.
Check the FACTS and JOIN US in helping bridging the digital divide.
Learn more about World Wi-Fi Day here.
Do you want to support World Wi-Fi Day?
HOPE for Connectivity
Our HOPE for Connectivity charter calls on cities, government bodies, fixed and mobile operators, technology vendors and Internet giants. Help us bridge the digital divide and create the critical influence to bring wireless connectivity by pledging your support to our initiative.
Help
Fund and support Wi-Fi deployments for underserved & unconnected
Offer
Access to more affordable internet through public Wi-Fi networks
Promote
Promote current Wi-Fi initiatives of industry & governments to connect the unconnected
Engage
Engage to recognize the role of Wi-Fi in addressing the digital divide
90% of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries remain offline. Girls are 35% less likely than their male peers to process digital skills.
Over 1 billion people worldwide live in rural communities where internet access is poor or completely unavailable. Wi-Fi is Essential to Bridge the Digital Divide in Rural Areas.
Over 70% of the global population have mobile connectivity. Nearly two-thirds of the global population will have Internet access . There will be 5.4 billion total Internet users (67 % of global population).
The market size of Wi-Fi 7 was valued at USD 1.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 26.2 billion by 2030.
GeSI’s partnership with WBA affirms a joint commitment to realizing a sustainable digital economy in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Agenda, European Green Deal strategies, Paris Climate Agreement commitments, and other relevant frameworks.
2.9 billion people remain offline, 96% of whom live in developing countries. Those who remain unconnected face multiple barriers, including a lack of access: some 390 million people are not even covered by a mobile broadband signal
244 million more men than women using the Internet in 2023
Economic impact of Wi-Fi in the U.S. is expected to reach $5 trillion by 2025.
Over 41% of respondents plan to deploy Wi-Fi 7 by the end of 2024, while 7.5% that already have.
By the end of 2024, over 47% of respondents plan to add WBA OpenRoaming™ or Passpoint to a new or existing Wi-Fi network.
Nearly 70% of respondents are either involved with a city-wide public Wi-Fi deployment or plan to be in 2024 or 2025.
85% of companies have made IoT a key focus area over the last 12 months. Companies consider IoT service and network interoperability, and roaming are important for areas such as smart city and automotive in dense environments. The use of Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) based on PasspointTM certified Wi-Fi equipment to facilitate the adoption of IoT services using unlicensed based radio technologies. Wi-Fi hotspots will be key for the development of IoT applications and services.
Cities have a responsibility to ensure that connectivity is accessible to all – citizens, businesses and city services. This means it is imperative for city managers and CIOs who’ve successfully implemented connectivity to share plans and highlight the benefits of connected cities in a way for all to understand.
Wi-Fi device shipments will be 4.1 billion products by end of 2024. Two thirds of shipments will be Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E, and these will continue to expand into more IoT devices as more Wi-Fi 6 chipsets targeting IoT devices hit the market. There is all growth going forward layered with trends of more Wi-Fi 6 and 6E devices coming into play, Wi-Fi 7 chips ramping up in higher-end devices and access points, and more discrete Wi-Fi solutions in primary client devices and other product types.
Wi-Fi is a social empowerment tool for countries like India with 600 thousand Villages. Wi-Fi 6 based network will provide improved performance to legacy client devices as wellas new devices with 11ax support as seen in the trial. C-DOT and Intel deployed Wi-Fi 6 in a rural school trial in India to enhance new learning technologies, and improve signal coverage and streaming performance. Wi-Fi 6 improved throughput by more than 50 percent throughout the network.
31 per cent of schoolchildren worldwide (463 million) cannot be reached by the broadcast- and Internet-based remote learning policies either due to the lack of necessary technological assets at home, or because they were not targeted by the adopted policies . 3 out of 4 students who cannot be reached by the remote learning policies come from rural areas and/or belong to the poorest households
In total, 47% of the world’s population (approximately 3.6 billion people) do not use the Internet. Lack of coverage is one reason for this: Approximately 10% of the world’s people live beyond the reach of a mobile network
Wi-Fi usage has boomed during the pandemic. During the lockdown, traffic patterns inevitably shifted from an office setting to a home setting. Wi-Fi limited the impact of social isolation by enabling business, education, healthcare, and other services to move online
Coronavirus has exposed the digital divide like never before.• Globally only 55% of households have internet. In poorer countries, this drops to below 20%. Women 223% less likely than men to have access to the internet than men.
COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the widening digital divide. The digital divide within all nations and between advanced and developing economies has been further exposed by the pandemic.
Inequalities Amplified By COVID-19 Highlight Internet Access As Privilege
Roughly one-in-five American adults are “smartphone-only” internet users with no access to home broadband service or laptops. Low-income communities are particularly disadvantaged. As schools move to distance learning, workers are displaced from their jobs and public services move online, the need for an affordable, reliable broadband connection and productivity technology is even more acute
Economic impact of Wi-Fi in the U.S. is expected to reach $4.9 trillion by 2025. It is estimated that the economic impact of Wi-Fi in the U.S. is expected to reach $4.9 trillion by 2025, representing a 150% increase from the last estimate in 2018.
Globally, total public Wi-Fi hotspots will grow sevenfold from 2015 to 2020, from 64.2 million in 2015 to 432.5 million by 2020
Nearly 80% of respondents believe they will deploy Next Gen Wi-Fi by 2020, driven by the need to improve quality of experience (QoE), reduce churn, and provide seamless access between Wi-Fi networks, and between Wi-Fi and licensed networks
Despite the good evolution in recent years of industry standards that allow a device to seamlessly and securely connect to Wi-Fi hotspots broadcasting in unlicensed spectrum, there are still shortcomings around making QoS metrics on Wi-Fi technology.
85% of companies have made IoT a key focus area over the last 12 months. Companies consider IoT service and network interoperability, and roaming are important for areas such as smart city and automotive in dense environments. The use of Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) based on PasspointTM certified Wi-Fi equipment to facilitate the adoption of IoT services using unlicensed based radio technologies. Wi-Fi hotspots will be key for the development of IoT applications and services.
Cities have a responsibility to ensure that connectivity is accessible to all – citizens, businesses and city services. This means it is imperative for city managers and CIOs who’ve successfully implemented connectivity to share plans and highlight the benefits of connected cities in a way for all to understand.
A study commissioned by the Wi-Fi Alliance indicates that by 2020, Wi-Fi networks around the world will need access to significantly more mid-band spectrum than is currently available in the 5 GHz range to satisfy expected growth in Wi-Fi data traffic, maybe even up to 1.8 GHz more spectrum by 2025
Operators remain a key partner for cities, compared to infrastructure vendors or systems integrators, and are key in supporting and providing CAPEX, OPEX, maintenance and revenue sharing or generation
Testimonials
WBA’s World Wi-Fi Day celebrates the many ways that Wi-Fi brings us together, hear from some of the industry leaders on why they support this cause.
“The World Wi-Fi Day is an opportunity to recognize the contributions being made to help connect the unconnected around the globe, whether they be in major cities or rural communities. WBA therefore calling on cities, governments, enterprises, operators and technology companies to come together today to help deliver affordable, sustainable connectivity for everyone, everywhere.”
“The digital divide is growing, and not just in developing countries – there is also an increase in the under-served ‘urban unconnected’ in the world’s largest economies. We are delighted that some of the biggest influencers within the industry ecosystem are participating and supporting World Wi-Fi Day – their support demonstrates just how important it is to address this critical issue. We encourage all stakeholders to actively participate and commit to deliver connectivity and access to information for all.”
“Wi-Fi is a key ingredient for cable customers, and we pledge to continue our efforts to improve Wi-Fi services through technology research.”
“Wi-Fi has allowed for many solutions in such a challenging time that it’s hard to image life without it. We’re using it in ways we’ve never dreamed of and realizing the importance of ensuring everyone has reliable and consistent access to Wi-Fi services and its many benefits.”
“Wi-Fi turns information technology into human technology. Our devices can now travel with us as digital companions, enhancing our lives in subtle and dramatic ways. Wi-Fi has unleashed a flood of human creativity and prosperity that elevates billions of lives around the world.”
“The challenge of how to serve our aging population is apparent. We believe that WiFi-based services are the key to affordable and accessible alternatives to allow our loved ones to age safely at home.”
“Without equal access to technology and the internet, girls and women are not able to equally participate in our ever more digital societies.”
“Demand for data is exponentially increasing globally. This is well supported by an affordable device ecosystem, availability of a variety of quality content, over-the-top (OTT) services, e-education, e-health, and other new use cases. Covid-19 has fueled this demand further and uptake is increasing in rural areas. Wi-Fi, an unlicensed band technology, is key both from access and back haul perspective. In India, Wi-Fi is being used not only as access but to extend connectivity, for example, from Gram Panchayat (GP) to neighbouring villages. The use of Wi-Fi technology to establish point-to-point and multi-point links in an unlicensed band is one of the alternate and affordable technologies to extend connectivity from fiber point of presence to nearby villages.”
“As life moves towards normalcy post-COVID 19, we cannot deny the role that Wi-Fi played in keeping us virtually connected as we remained isolated. World Wi-Fi Day is a reminder of the promise of Wi-Fi to give people a voice and the opportunity to connect to a world full of new possibilities.”
“Wi-Fi is a way of life, and with 6 GHz, we’re unlocking its real potential: ubiquitous coverage, robust security, seamless experiences, and uninterrupted high-speed connectivity. When you add AI, you create intelligent networks that anticipate our needs and become the foundation for limitless innovation, helping build the future of smart cities, homes, hospitals, schools, stadiums, and more.”
“Wi-Fi has revolutionized the way we connect and interact with the world around us. It has transformed our homes into smart hubs, enabled remote work and learning, and fostered global communication and collaboration. Beyond convenience, Wi-Fi has bridged gaps, brought education and healthcare to underserved communities, and played a critical role in social inclusion.”
“WiFi is not just about internet access; it’s about creating connections that foster community, bridge divides, and empower individuals. Easy access to WiFi enables education and the sharing of knowledge, opening doors to opportunities for people everywhere. At Alta Labs, we believe that WiFi should be accessible by everyone.”
Videos
Learn from Industry players on how Wi-Fi makes the changes and benefits the society
