Wi-Fi Alliance predicted that the number of connected devices will reach 38.5 billion in 2020. This growth is due in part to manufacturers adding intelligence and connectivity to Wi-Fi connected vacuum, coffee maker, door locks, or slow cooker.
Wi-Fi Alliance has developed a list of predictions for 2016 that demonstrates Wi-Fi’s steady march forward as it continues to deliver an even better user experience.
Wi-Fi Alliance noted that, in 2016, companies that do not specialize in developing connectivity technologies – particularly those developing products for the Smart Home – will leverage a new Wi-Fi Alliance Implementer membership category, which will allow them to more easily deliver Wi-Fi connected products with secure operation, certified interoperability, and legacy compatibility with the 6.8 billion Wi-Fi products currently in use.
The average home has more than eight devices on the network, and that number will continue to grow. Companies have come to understand the value of Wi-Fi certification in assuring users that they can control their home connectivity devices securely and reliably for years to come, and Wi-Fi will continue to play a role in shaping a user-friendly and seamless Smart Home.
Seventy-three percent of Americans say it is very important to have access to Wi-Fi in their daily lives. Wi-Fi’s value is also recognized around the world, and last year we saw global Wi-Fi infrastructure investments pickup with assistance from cities and companies such as Google and Facebook.
In 2016, city Wi-Fi deployments will increase, with some leveraging Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint to enable seamless roaming with other cities miles and even continents away. Sports fans will take advantage of enhanced Wi-Fi as stadiums and sports arenas amp up their Wi-Fi networks to keep pace with record wireless traffic numbers, and travelers will remain connected on-the-go through services from providers such as Boingo who keep users connected in airports and railways around the world. Users demand availability of Wi-Fi no matter where their day takes them.
In addition, Wi-Fi in cars, homes, and in-flight will be a standard amenity with auto manufacturers offering Wi-Fi connectivity in an expanding line of vehicles, airline carriers such as Air China upgrading their services and JetBlue announcing they will offer free Wi-Fi on every flight in 2016, and homebuilders supplying homes with connected automation packages.
In 2016, an update to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac will bring new features such as Multi-user MIMO to increase performance and network capacity, taking Wi-Fi beyond the gigabit Wi-Fi speeds already supported. This second wave of features will enable users to realize the full potential of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac, and help meet carrier requirements by supporting faster and more scalable operator networks.
As a complement to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac, the WiGig CERTIFIED program is expected to launch, bringing multi-gigabit performance to in-room connectivity. Wi-Fi Alliance will also progress on work in new frequency bands, following the introduction of Wi-Fi HaLow, to provide users with longer range and lower power connectivity – ideally suited to enable a variety of power-efficient use cases in the Internet of Things and other industrial applications, among others.
