About
60% of Internet traffic in Global goes through WiFi connections, according to
Cisco.
WiFi
6 is already a reality: what it is and why it will improve our internet.
This
Monday marks 20 years since the launch of the 802.11b wireless standard. It was
the first one called WiFi, presented by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility
Alliance (WECA) and massively adopted by the main hardware providers.
With
the arrival of WiFi, the life of Internet users changed dramatically. The new
technology offered unprecedented freedom of connection, lower costs and
innovative possibilities for both consumers and businesses.
Over
the next two decades, the industry has gone through several generations of
WiFi. Today, the latest standard (802.11ax or WiFi 6) is already available,
which is a breakthrough in terms of speed / latency, capacity, reliability and
energy efficiency.
Main mode of internet
access
According
to a recent Cisco survey Internet users, a third (31%) do not
imagine continuing their daily life without the Internet, nor could they do the
same (32%). Users use it mainly to stay informed and updated (79%), for
entertainment (78%) and to contact family and friends (73%).
And
WiFi is the main mode of access to the network. It previously makes
56% of all IP traffic (matched to 38% cellular and 6% wired), and in 2022 it will
characterize 64%, far beyond wired (24%) and cellular (12%) traffic.
In
business, Wi-Fi networks have become an essential method to access digital
content. They facilitate flexible work from any location. They offer key
location-based data for business. And they connect all kinds of devices to the
corporate network, including Internet of Things machines: 223 million M2M
connections planned in Spain by 2022.
WiFi 6 and 5G,
complementary technologies
The
WiFi 6 is now taking off. In addition to being faster than the fifth generation
- and 500 times more than the first -, it offers 400% more capacity, improving
performance per user. And by including innovations similar to 5G - like OFDMA
for the simultaneous transmission of multiple data channels - it is an ideal
complement to 5G.
It
is also more effective in high-density environments - such as stadiums,
airports and hospitals - where it is often complex to deploy cellular
connections. The latency is greatly improved, facilitating an almost real-time
operation for applications such as connected factories, autonomous vehicles and
virtual and augmented reality. And it reduces up to four times the battery
consumption in the connected devices.
In
the next 3 years there will be 344 million devices connected to the internet in
Spain (7.4 per person), from the current more than 200 million (4.4 per
inhabitant). And many of them - smart phones, but also robots, production lines
and medical devices - will communicate over a wireless network.
As
Andrea, General Director of Cisco Spain points out, "Cisco has been
building Internet networks since 1984, and today about 80% of global Internet
traffic goes through Cisco equipment. WiFi 6 and 5G are the next advance in connectivity
and a key infrastructure for digital transformation, optimizing business
operations and contributing to digital inclusion and social welfare."
