The Future of WiFi

What will define the future of WiFi?

20:24 15 August 2017

WiFi was introduced to mankind in 1985 and since then, it has managed to transform from being just a method of connectivity to playing a crucial role in almost every aspect of our lives.

 

By 2021, Cisco expects a sevenfold increase in the growth of mobile data traffic fueled by video. More than 60per cent of this traffic will be offloaded via WiFi networks in order to cope with the increasing demand. The convergence of cellular and WiFi is also expected to play a crucial role as the number of carrier-grade hotspots will outnumber other access points installed. Cisco also expects that by at the end of 2021, hotspots around the world would increase from 100million to 500million.

 

Problems with cellular indoor coverage is also being addressed with WiFi being leveraged for neutral host deployments in highly frequented spaces on a frequent basis, such as airports. WiFi infrastructures already exist in the majority of these locations and they are expected to improve in the coming years.

 

Host providers, mobile operators, and venue owners can also benefit from this technology by sharing WiFi infrastructures that can help them enable a wide variety of value-added services including proximity marketing, indoor positioning, advertising, and analytics.