Over the years, there has been a constant growth in technology, and 2022 will not be any different. In fact, the pandemic has got everyone and everything online. Going out, people search for a stable network in every nook and cranny. Most customers at a restaurant say that free Wi-Fi is one of the most important features that they offer. In hotels, as per a report by hotels.com, 49% of business travellers ask for free Wi-Fi in their rooms.
However, setting up and managing Wi-Fi is not the most straightforward task. This is making businesses turn to Managed Wi-Fi services that allows them to delegate this task to experts. With this, the responsibility of quality service, network security, and maintenance of Wi-Fi transfers to the hands of the service provider. As a result, seamless connectivity and faster bandwidth come at affordable prices. The configuration process becomes easier and comes with extra security measures. Moreover, there is always tech support available that frees up the IT departments to focus on more crucial things.
The Managed Wi-Fi service is expanding rapidly and has many growth prospects. Let us have a look at some predictions made for 2022
Predictions for Managed Wi-Fi in 2022:
Increased deployment of outdoor Wi-Fi
Now more than ever, people have an exponentially rising need (and want) to stay connected, even when on the move. This has pushed the public demand for outdoor Wi-Fi, which in turn is driving that market at a fast pace. Hotels, schools, and even hospitals are demanding outdoor Wi-Fi services for better connectivity and network management.
As the pandemic takes a slower pace, an increase in business, as well as leisure travel, is expected in 2022. Guests who are accustomed to high-speed internet would demand its availability in the hotels, public transport, as well as in restaurants and parks.
For guests staying in hotels on business, this is a crucial requirement, especially for those who are actively using video conferencing tools. Leisure travellers prefer high-quality streaming on their own devices, however, this service is not yet offered by many hotels. It can be predicted that they will set up more well-managed outdoor Wi-Fi networks to provide an overall excellent quality experience.
As far as travelling is concerned, thousands of railway stations have been equipped with the RailTel Wi-Fi service. As for Wi-Fi in air transport, it can become more common. Till now, only Vistara provides this service to its passengers. However, more airlines are planning to launch the same in 2022. Mr. Ajay Singh, the Chairman and MD of SpiceJet, told reporters that in-air Wi-Fi services will be available on the Boeing 737 aircraft. It will allow passengers to send and receive text messages and emails, however, no audio calls will be allowed. The introduction of Wi-Fi shall significantly improve the revenues.
Apart from this, in India, many Government initiatives such as Digital India are bound to give a push to outdoor Wi-Fi services. Moreover, at a global level, the market for Managed Wi-Fi in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest pace. As per Cisco’s report, 2022 can see about 482 million global public Wi-Fi hotspots.
More focus on business continuity
2022 is going to be a step forward in the growth of business models with a digital base. This has put a greater emphasis on not just providing the most over-the-top services but also on business continuity. Since digital platforms require a seamless network connection, such businesses need to ensure unbroken connectivity for their operations. As per a report, more than 30% of organisations will prioritise connectivity resiliency to ensure business continuity in 2022.
Organisations are expected to focus on reducing blackouts for the betterment of customer experience. Any disruption in the network can prove detrimental to revenue generation and partner relations. This tarnishes the reputation of the organisation.
Choosing Managed Wi-Fi services is one option for such organisations to safeguard their image. The expertise of the service providers ensures continual digital engagement for all parties involved, including the customers and the employees.
Increased use of private 5G network
To create a more seamless network connection, it is predicted that organisations will start adopting private 5G networks. A private 5G network is created using separately licensed network towers. It comes with high data rates (1-20 Gbit/s), ultra-low latency (1 ms), high security, and scalability to accommodate a large number of IoT-connected devices. This, in turn, has endless possibilities.
When deployed, the private network shall make it possible for an organisation to create smart work environments. In fact, for manufacturers, this comes as an opportunity to give a push to smart factories and promote digital transformation.
For homes, this paves the way for adding more and more smart devices. Most of these are based on IoT technologies, such as the Amazon Echo. As we have seen over the previous years, 2022 is also expected to see a boom in smart home devices.
However, the bottom line remains that since individuals and organisations are already equipped with Wi-Fi services, how much more advantageous will private 5G networks be? Will the adoption be just as easy as it sounds? Private 5G can give competition to Wi-Fi services. However, the prediction remains that it will not replace Managed Wi-Fi anytime soon.
Adoption of Wi-Fi 6/6E
In 2022, it is predicted that Wi-Fi 6 will see widespread adoption across all industries. Due to the hybrid work environment, reliance on Wi-Fi has increased manifold. Not just that, there is a demand for faster speed, higher security, and more stability in connection.
According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi 6 brings all that and more. In a report, they have stated that this new version of Wi-Fi comes with multi-user Multi-input and Multi-output (MU-MIMO) for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. In Wi-Fi 5, this was only available in the 5GHz band. This will boost the speeds for video streaming and conferencing. Moreover, uploads will also be faster. It is an ideal option for homes and more so for offices. The lockdown and work-from-home regime will provide an opportunity to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 in offices without causing any disruption to work.
Being the fastest Wi-Fi connection yet, it has pushed people to buy routers to make use of this 6th generation Wi-Fi service. Apart from this, many more devices are entering the market that support Wi-Fi 6 and are attracting more customers. There is hope that Wi-Fi 6 will be established by December 2022.
Growth in edge computing
Edge computing is the kind of IT architecture that allows the storage and processing of data close to where it is generated. Traditionally, data is sent to a centralised data centre where it is processed and then sent back to the client. This is done over WAN and corporate LANs. However, with edge computing, data will be stored as close as possible to its source.
This concept comes with the benefit of greater speed, as data does not travel far to get processed. Moreover, it provides data security and low latency. Edge computing also allows organisations to free up bandwidth by reducing congestion. This further helps in lowering network costs.
Boost in edge computing due to Managed Wi-Fi services or 5G can prove beneficial in many ways. If the two technologies–Wi-Fi 6 and 5G–are compared in terms of what supports edge computing more, people prefer the latter. However, it is predicted that Wi-Fi 6 can be a great option as well.
More and more companies are learning about this technique. As per a report by Gartner, by 2025, 75% of data generated by enterprises will be created and processed outside centralised data centres. 2022 is expected to see a growth in the adoption of edge computing.
In conclusion
2022 has come with a lot of expectations in terms of faster and more secure networks. While services like the 6th generation of Wi-Fi come with better speed, security, and bandwidth, what is important is how you employ them.
Managed Wi-Fi is the service that allows you to make the most of these advancements. Be it a business or a home setup, proper management of Wi-Fi is crucial for seamless activities. Take one step forward towards experiencing a stress-free and expert-managed network by opting for the services of a Managed Wi-Fi provider.
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