As we continue to grapple with the wide-ranging impacts of a once-in-a-generation global pandemic, we see time and time again that Wi-Fi is an absolute necessity.

In addition to providing a lifeline to millions of people who have been working and living entirely online for the past year, Wi-Fi has also continued to grow and innovate with technologies like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. In an effort to organize all of the recent global updates with regard to Wi-Fi and unlicensed technology, WifiForward has published a Wi-Fi Market Update that provides highlights to showcase the global impact of the technology. 

Here are some top-line notes from the update:

 

• In April 2020, the FCC opened up the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, making the United States a leader in Wi-Fi-supported 5G and other vital communications technologies. Other countries, including Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia have followed suit and opened up the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi as well.
• Wi-Fi 6E technology, the latest generation of Wi-Fi that runs in the 6 GHz band, is taking off.  The Wi-Fi Alliance projects that over 316 million Wi-Fi 6E devices will enter the market in 2021 alone.
• Last summer, in the midst of the pandemic, the FCC issued an emergency authorization to let Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) use the 5.9 GHz band for increased bandwidth. The experiment was a resounding success: more than 100 WISPs used the new band and thousands of US customers had access to faster broadband.  
• Shared spectrum technologies continued to be a success story as the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. CBRS technology enables everything from outdoor hotspots for COVID testing to remote schooling to precision agriculture and beyond.

 

Download the full report here.