The road to 5G remains difficult as carriers look to monetize their existing networks. (Image generated by AI)
- 5G and Wi-FI are expected to get major updates in 2024.
- 5G is growing rapidly, but 4G remains essential.
- Wi-Fi 7 has the potential to revolutionize the Wi-Fi industry.
5G and Wi-Fi are the backbone for most AI workloads, ensuring low latency so there is no compromise on the use cases this technology is applied in. While the talk of 2023 is generally about generative AI, a key factor for this technology to work at its best is the strength of that network.
In fact, 5G in 2023 continues to develop rapidly. 5G is already available in most countries around the world, and networks are living up to expectations, providing users with a seamless connection experience. According to a report by OpenSignal, the countries with the fastest 5G speeds right now include South Korea and Singapore.
The growth of 5G is enabling more use cases to be launched around the world. For example, autonomous vehicles and robots for security and delivery are on the rise, which require strong network connections with very low latency to function well. Singapore, for example, is seeing an increase in the use of 5G-equipped machines for public use cases.
At the same time, the adoption of private 5G is also increasing. Compared to public 5G networks, private 5G networks allow organizations to provide limited access to licensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum. With similar capabilities to public 5G networks, private 5G is typically used in manufacturing plants, factories, and even offices that want employees to work on a private, dedicated network.
In Malaysia, for example, oil and gas company Petronas became the first in the country to deploy a commercial private 5G network at its Regasification Terminal Sungai Udang (RGTSU) in Melaka. Petronas explained that the deployment of private 5G improves operational efficiency and safety, supporting its business and sustainability goals.
The countries with the fastest 5G speeds include South Korea and Singapore (Image generated by AI).
5G in 2024
Oshiga FemiCommScope’s Vice President of Service Providers, APAC and MEA,Industry reports estimate that the number of mobile internet users in Asia Pacific (excluding China) currently reaches 1.2 billion, and the number of 5G users in the region is expected to exceed 600 million by 2028. However, despite calls for faster deployment and adoption of 5G, 4G networks remain the mainstream among mobile broadband users.
“As we head into 2024, we will see a renewed focus on new use cases for 5G networks emerging and more operators using AI and ML to optimize operations and improve revenue. As we see a decline in operator spending and investment numbers globally, the ability to enable ease of deployment and wider coverage will also be key considerations for operators. Easier deployment will lower the overall cost of the network, while wider coverage will enable new use cases such as remote operations in vast and isolated sites such as oil drilling, mining and other heavy industries,” Oshiga said.
Oshiga also noted that the road to 5G will remain a difficult one as carriers look to monetize their existing networks while addressing existing challenges such as ESG initiatives and bridging the digital divide.
Wi-Fi 7 is expected to debut in early 2024. (Image generated by AI)
From 5G to Wi-Fi 7 in 2024
Beyond 5G, Wi-Fi is also expected to undergo further changes in 2024. As enterprises continue to improve network connectivity with Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 is expected to debut in early 2024. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi 7 builds on Wi-Fi 6 and focuses on indoor and outdoor operation of WLANs at stationary and walking speeds in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands.
Wi-Fi 7 is also reported to deliver theoretical throughput of up to 46 Gbit/s, which is made possible by features such as 4096-QAM, multi-link operation (MLO), 16 spatial streams, etc. Wi-Fi 7 also aims to offer 100x lower latency and 15x better AR/VR performance compared to Wi-Fi 6.
Key features of Wi-Fi 7 include:
- 4096-QAM: Each symbol can carry 12 bits instead of 10, allowing for a theoretical transmission speed 20% higher than Wi-Fi 6’s 1024-QAM.
- Contiguous and non-contiguous 320/160+160 MHz and 240/160+80 MHz bandwidth: Increases capacity by transmitting and receiving data simultaneously across different frequency bands and channels.
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Allows flexible channel utilization and can theoretically reduce latency by up to 99%.
- Flexible channel utilization: Today, interference can disable an entire Wi-Fi channel. Preamble puncturing allows you to block parts of the channel that are affected by interference while still allowing the rest of the channel to be used.
Other candidate features for Wi-Fi 7 include multi-access point (AP) coordination, enhanced link adaptation and retransmission protocols, and integration of time-sensitive networking (TSN).
Wi-Fi 7 will be four times faster than Wi-Fi 6.
“As exceptional digital experiences become the norm across key industries such as education, hospitality, healthcare and high-density events, the widespread adoption of new network standards and the unlocking of all available spectrum, including the latest 6 GHz band, will enable greater speed, capacity and performance in connected experiences in 2024,” said Sanjiv Verma of Verma.President, APAC, Ruckus Networks At CommScope.
Verma explained that Wi-Fi 7 is four times faster than Wi-Fi 6. With greater capacity and lower latency, Wi-Fi 7 enables applications like uninterrupted streaming and cloud gaming, and enables real-time social engagement during high-traffic events like concerts and trade shows.
In the classroom, the benefits of Wi-Fi 7 will come from a seamlessly supported learning environment, improving the ability to connect more users and classrooms to stream video, collaborate on shared documents and assignments, and support reliable virtual classes, including exams, Verma explained. And in the hospitality industry, this will translate to an improved guest experience, especially for guests who use hotel Wi-Fi for video conferencing.
“As new technologies continue to emerge, Wi-Fi will play an increasingly important role. Wi-Fi is preferred for most connectivity needs as it is an economical and efficient way to connect users, IoT devices and other infrastructure. Cellular networks, on the other hand, offer superior mobility over longer ranges and higher speeds. As a result, we expect to see the convergence of both cellular and Wi-Fi networks, creating a unified platform that seamlessly switches between technologies, fostering innovation, enhancing connectivity and providing a better user experience,” he concluded.
