For nearly five years, those in the IT industry who have been following enterprise networking have been bombarded with various claims and counterclaims regarding some kind of competition between 5G-based cellular networking and WiFi 6. Much has been made about the theoretical advantages of 5G’s capabilities. In terms of network management, performance, security, and propagation capabilities. However, in my experience, determining technology in the abstract without specific context has always been a risky proposition.
The specific needs of a business application should always determine the optimal technical environment needed to support it. Anything else is putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. This makes it difficult to understand the message that companies need 5G to “accelerate their business,” when in reality, many It is common for business customers to alternate between using WiFi and cellular data services. WAN technologies that aim to extend beyond traditional networking challenges and streamline access to the cloud.
From both a business and consumer perspective, it is estimated that there are over 18 billion WiFi-enabled devices in use worldwide, followed by almost 12 billion cellular connections. This is surprising given that the world’s population is just over 8 billion people, and about a third of them are likely to be too young or live in areas where digital technology is not widespread. .
Fortunately, both WiFi 6 and 5G cellular networks have seen significant and continuous improvements over the past two decades or so, although both technologies use radio waves to move data. The infrastructure and detailed management required to support a global 5G network is much more complex. WiFi is a low-cost, functional wireless network already in use in many homes and businesses.
WiFi 6 or 5G? Depends on your business needs
In some ways, it’s easy to see where the line between WiFi and 5G is drawn. The traditional use case for WiFi has been to support client systems where direct wiring is too expensive or impractical based on location and nominal bandwidth requirements. WiFi has become ubiquitous, and the configuration and management process for building a WiFi network is approaching plug-and-play. Modern WiFi access points (APs) for both consumers and businesses are secure and functional, offering simplified and intuitive web-based utilities that guide users through the configuration of authentication, security, and access policies. Get your standard WiFi network up and running in minutes.
For mobile and outdoor applications, cellular networks, starting with 4G LTE and now 5G, have evolved beyond telecommunications to provide significantly greater range and reliable connectivity for many data-rich mobile applications. Masu. Public and private cellular networks serve large industries where WiFi cannot accommodate mobility, such as light and heavy industry, utilities, oil and gas production, and transportation. , performance, and signal reliability required for specific mission-critical applications.
As with any IT project, it’s up to us as engineers to properly define business needs and make technical recommendations that ensure those needs are met or exceeded. The choice between 5G and WiFi 6 is not an either-or choice. As with any hybrid IT environment, both methodologies can and should coexist.
Key factors to consider before choosing 5G or WiFi 6
Of course, there are extensive technical considerations involved when assigning business applications to 5G and WiFi 6. When we began this research into today’s state-of-the-art wireless networking, we were able to identify the following: Even if you don’t have a specific use case in mind, there are more than a dozen factors to consider. To save our sanity, the following is at the top of the list.
- Physical location and system mobility: Because WiFi and 5G both rely on wireless technology, they have similar limitations when it comes to acquiring and maintaining a signal. Although the coverage of both technologies varies widely depending on the environment, 5G’s combination of high power and frequency options makes it suitable for building, landscape, and vegetation encroachment. On average, a small cellular AP can cover about 10,000 square feet, compared to about 2,500 square feet. For equivalent WiFi 6 APs. Additionally, mobile phone services are designed to provide superior “handoff” capabilities in maintaining an unbroken connection with mobile clients. Dropped calls can be annoying, but reliable connectivity can be mission-critical in applications such as remote control systems.
- Network speed and latency: The volume, density, and dependence on business data has exploded over the past two decades and shows no signs of slowing down. The most likely influence on wireless network selection is the critical response window between client systems and the systems they connect to for action at the edge, cloud, or even the data center core. Unfortunately, the actual capabilities of a wireless network can only be evaluated in the field by considering the current state of the radio, network, environment, number of concurrent connections, and competing devices. All of this is subject to change at any time. given time. In a May 6, 2023, IEEE Spectrum Journal article, Michael Kosiol writes, “Even the most robust 5G networks can barely break through 1 gigabit per second, meeting the International Telecommunication Union’s ideal download speed. “This is nowhere near 20 Gb/s.” ” As always, your mileage may vary.
- Security and authentication: Regardless of the type of connection involved, network security will continue to be a serious issue. Unfortunately, much of the risk lies in the human side of security, especially when it comes to mobile devices that can somehow grow and disappear on their own. Both WiFi 6 and 5G offer security options, but they are not always matched between a carrier and his IT customer. Device-based authentication, multi-factor authentication, and biometrics can go a long way in eliminating some of the most common intrusion methods if there is alignment between 5G providers and wireless customers.
I strongly believe that the following technical advice is reliable. I don’t Starting with “Well, it depends” should be considered very questionable, especially in the area of wireless networking. In fact, I can’t think of any other IT technology that is as susceptible to environmental fluctuations as the challenges of high-speed wireless networking. Even in the worst case, the fact that it works with his 5G / WiFi 6 at the current level is already noteworthy, and there is no doubt that towards the end of the 20s he will improve even further with the introduction of 6G .
The same is true for WiFi 6 and the upcoming WiFi 7 standard, which will almost certainly continue to increase data and application requirements as well. However, switching to 6G by the end of the decade will likely result in further large investments in new technology, which will be a fraction of the cost compared to an equivalent WiFi 7 technology update.
It’s somewhat easy to forgive the 5G hype. Given the enormously expensive underlying infrastructure and cutting-edge technological developments required to operate wireless communication grids around the world, it is likely that mobile carriers will invest hundreds of billions of dollars in 5G infrastructure and spectrum. It is perfectly reasonable to seek new applications to salvage. But if a less complex, cheaper, and very well-understood alternative like WiFi can fully support the majority of wireless use cases, carriers will have a piece of the wireless pie. There is also a high possibility that you will have to compromise on just that.
While it’s good to see 5G and WiFi 6 companies finding ways to collaborate, this ideal is complicated by vendors and standards bodies focused on furthering their own plans rather than meeting customer needs. It will be.
As a customer, avoid the hype, take the time to really understand your business needs, and mix and match what makes the most sense.
