WiFi is 20 years old: this has changed the lives of Internet users

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."