Four important Wi-Fi design trends worth watching in 2022
Article By : Majeed Ahmad
Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are prominent in Wi-Fi's design roadmap in 2022, followed by the automated frequency coordination (AFC) system.
According to Wi-Fi Alliance, the number of Wi-Fi devices in use will reach nearly 18 billion in 2022. The network of companies that manages the Wi-Fi design ecosystem also forecasts 4.4 billion devices to be shipped this year.
For the year 2022, Wi-Fi Alliance has listed four major trends outlined below.
- Wi-Fi an IoT building block
Wi-Fi, now widely acknowledged as a foundation technology for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, is reinforcing its position with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, which employ orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) to improve performance in dense environments. Then, there is target wake time (TWT) technology, which reduces battery consumption and makes Wi-Fi a suitable choice for sensor-based devices.
Figure 1 Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E reinforce Wi-Fi as a premier channel for IoT applications. Source: Qualcomm
Add to this the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow, which operates in the sub-1 GHz band and enables long-range and low-power connectivity while providing a robust connection in challenging Wi-Fi environments. It facilitates a variety of power-efficient IoT use cases in retail, agriculture, healthcare, smart home, and smart city environments.
- Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E in homes and enterprises
Wi-Fi 6 reached 50% market adoption more quickly than previous Wi-Fi generations, according to Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are now being introduced for PCs, notebooks and mesh systems while home networking, automotive and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) applications are next in line.
Figure 2 More than 350 million Wi-Fi 6E devices will enter the market in 2022. Source: Wi-Fi Alliance
Wi-Fi Alliance also projects that more Wi-Fi 6E access points will be deployed in home networks to meet the needs of bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive applications. Wi-Fi 6E home gateways and access points are likely to become part of the subscription plans offered by smart home and smart building service providers.
- Automated frequency coordination (AFC)
The AFC systems maximize spectrum access in the 6 GHz frequency band, and they have already been adopted in Canada and the United States. Wi-Fi Alliance has released specifications and test plans for AFC system implementation, and more than a dozen AFC service providers have expressed interest.
Figure 3 The AFC framework will continue to be developed in 2022. Source: Broadcom
- Wi-Fi network optimization
The growing use of video conferencing, voice-over-IP services, X Reality (XR) applications, and high definition (HD) streaming in home and enterprise environments has placed new strains on Wi-Fi networks. That inevitably calls for a new level of network optimization.
Here, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Optimized Connectivity improves mobility when roaming within and across Wi-Fi networks and between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Next, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management ensures robust service delivery and a high-quality Wi-Fi user experience. Then, there are Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Data Elements, which help service providers and network managers better manage complex Wi-Fi networks.
In 2022, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint will raise the bar for speed, security, and reliability to better manage Wi-Fi deployments in dense, city, and public areas.
This article was originally published on EDN.
Majeed Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of EDN and Planet Analog, has covered the electronics design industry for more than two decades.