Driving the home network connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E is likely to hit its stride in 2022-23 timeframe as the spectrum is released around the globe and clients and applications start to arrive

- KANNAN KRISHNAN

As we move ahead in 2021, consumers are adding even more connected devices to their homes. Smart assistants, smart plugs, security cameras and doorbells are becoming some of the popular additions to our connected home. This continual increase in devices accumulated with most of us still working and schooling from home has shown how important connectivity is to our homes. If you did not believe that Wi-Fi and internet connectivity was a new entry in Maslow’s hierarchy at the physiological needs level (i.e., air and water) before the pandemic hit, then you probably believe it now.

As we look forward to the year and the potential for a return to pre-pandemic normal in the second half of 2021, we still see a lot of the acceleration of digital services staying with and accelerating into 2022. Here are some of the most important home network trends to follow.

Wi-Fi reliability and performance

Consumers are now not satisfied to just connect with poor performance in many rooms of their home. With the pandemic turning all our rooms into work and school places, we now see the importance of high-performance Wi-Fi to every part of our homes. With the arrival of WiFi 6 technology and its 15-35% boost in overall home performance over previous Wi-Fi 5 solutions, we see a sharp growth in the roll out of more Wi-Fi 6 access points from service providers in 2021. While legacy client devices prevail and don’t fully unleash the 4x performance improvement of Wi-Fi 6 – the importance of Wi-Fi 6 to create a new Wi-Fi foundation for the home cannot be overstated.