Global Data states the that upcoming standard 802.11ax represents a significant selling point for WiFi gear vendors.

Just as cellular vendors are working to deliver 5G innovations, such as multiple antennas and ‘millimeter wave’ technologies, WiFi is poised for its own 5G-like upgrade with the introduction of the 802.11ax standard due this year. The technology has the potential to deliver 5G-like user experiences at a fraction of the cost and represents a significant selling point for WiFi gear vendors, according to data and analytics company,GlobalData.

Since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007, ‘carrier WiFi’ — the adoption of WiFi hotspots by cellular carriers — has taken off.  However, WiFi has historically been unreliable, vulnerable from a security perspective, and difficult to integrate with cellular networks. But now, WiFi proponents are close to finalizing a new industry standard that they say will make WiFi more like 5G.

WiFi proponents believe they will still have a head start on 5G cellular devices.  That may be true, but the purchasing cycles for WiFi access points are quite different than those for handsets; most cellular operators are unlikely to rip and replace 802.11ac devices, but will likely begin to shift spending on future devices to 802.11ax devices as the cost curve falls through 2022.

John Byrne, Technology Analyst at GlobalData, said that the 802.11ax standard will drive a significant boost in capacity, efficiency and flexibility that should make WiFi align closely with emerging 5G priorities. The ability to support as many as 12 simultaneous user streams from a single access point, 8x8 multi-user multiple input multiple output, and the use of much larger 80 MHz channels of wireless spectrum represent dramatic upgrades from the current state-of-the-art standard, 802.11ac. However, he added, once the cost curve comes down, 802.11ax WiFi has the potential to deliver 5G-like user experiences at a fraction of the cost of similar cellular gear. The ability to deploy WiFi access points at significantly lower cost than 5G small cells offering similar performance characteristics could represent a significant selling point for WiFi gear vendors.