Over 80,000 Wi-Fi Certified Products: A Proud Milestone!

In nearly 25 years of operation, the Wi-Fi Alliance has certified an impressive 80,000 products, according to Wi-Fi Alliance CEO & President Kevin Robinson. Looking ahead, the Wi-Fi future seems promising, with strong interest in Wi-Fi 7 and various emerging technologies such as AI, VLP, Matter, and more. As the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) approaches, critical regulatory decisions on 6 GHz spectrum allocation are anticipated.

Huge Growth In Demand For Wi-Fi Certified Products

Next year, Wi-Fi will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and the success story is evident, with Wi-Fi Alliance achieving the milestone of certifying 80,000 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products in October. The demand for Wi-Fi remains robust, with the Alliance certifying an average of 4,000-6,000 product models annually. The upcoming Wi-Fi 7 certification, expected before the end of the first quarter of 2024, is projected to further stimulate demand.

Kevin Robinson anticipates another strong year for the industry in 2024, with growing interest in Wi-Fi 7. He expects the adoption of Wi-Fi 7 to outpace that of the previous Wi-Fi 6 generation, emphasizing the remarkable speed of Wi-Fi 6 adoption.

The past couple of years saw a surge in new Wi-Fi product releases and certifications driven by the pandemic. As employees return to offices, the enterprise Wi-Fi equipment refresh cycle begins anew, with some potential shifts to 2025. Despite this, exciting growth opportunities exist in various areas beyond enterprise environments.

Transform Connectivity of Wi-Fi Devices with AI Integration & ALP Innovation

One noteworthy initiative involves standardizing the interaction between Wi-Fi and AI. The goal is to establish a standardized approach for Wi-Fi to interface with AI and ML engines, facilitating the scalability of AI-powered Wi-Fi to mass market dimensions and delivering an enhanced connectivity experience.

Very Low Power Wi-Fi (VLP) emerges as another exciting growth area, expected to connect XR devices, wearables, and enable short-range smartphone connectivity. Robinson sees significant potential in automotive applications, where VLP connectivity can support in-car infotainment and vehicle health monitoring.

Smart home IoT is also on the rise, driven by the newly released Matter standard. Matter reduces barriers to entry, making home automation accessible to a broader audience, creating substantial market opportunities for Wi-Fi.

With the World Radiocommunication Conference imminent, Robinson expresses optimism that regulators worldwide will recognize the immense value of the 6 GHz spectrum and make decisions that benefit global connectivity. Regardless of the outcomes at WRC-23, Robinson asserts that the move towards full band 6 GHz Wi-Fi is inevitable, emphasizing its current viability through demonstrations with commercially available equipment.