The good news is that the fifth generation of WiFi standards, 802.11ac, was ratified earlier this year. Developed in line with the IEEE Standards Association process, it provides for high-throughput wireless local area networks (WLANs) in the 5GHz spectrum.
This development is significant as it improves data rates into the multi-gigabit-per-second speeds, while increasing radio frequency (RF) bandwidth utilisation efficiency with support for denser access point deployments.
From the mobile users' perspective, the technology provides the convenience associated with improved access to network resources within their own organisations, or someone else's. Popular locations include cafes, hotels, airport lounges, sports stadia and many other public WiFi hotspots.
When it comes to networking in the modern era, wireless has evolved into the access method of choice, because the myths surrounding its speed and security have been well and truly 'busted'.
Fallen from grace
Thanks to the adoption of modern standards and technologies - in particular the rapid acceptance of products based on the 802.11ac standard - wired networks are no longer faster or more secure than their wireless counterparts. They are falling from favour.
In this light, expect wireless devices complying with the 802.11ac specification to be commonplace within months, with one billion in use globally by 2016.
Wireless access to the Internet and key corporate applications and resources offers a raft of big business benefits. Not only does it help staff members work smarter and faster, it also encourages collaboration, leading to more productive team-work and greater productivity.
The bad news is that while expandability is often seen as a wireless networking plus-point, with more users and many more devices being added to existing networks, companies are now challenged to deal with unexpected outbreaks of scale and density issues.
This is due, in large part, to the bring your own device (BYOD) movement, which, as it persists on its fast-tracked path of expansion, continues to boost the numbers of mobile devices and the diversity of those products attaching to WiFi networks.
Increasingly, individuals are carrying multiple wireless devices - laptops, tablets and smartphones. The average corporate mobile device/user ratio is now approaching 2.7. As a result, mobile applications now require significantly more bandwidth, while video and voice applications have increased the demand for pervasive bandwidth. Client congestion has become a serious and widespread problem for wireless networks.
It is expected that the BYOD momentum will continue unabated, accelerating even to wearable devices. The resulting increase in demand will heavily impact wireless LANs on a global scale.
Gearing for growth
The challenge for all industry protagonists which support the 802.11ac standard - manufacturers and vendors - is to meet today's functional demands while planning to accommodate the explosive wireless market growth expected over the next two to five years.
The question being asked is 'who's up for it?" Any problems associated with WiFi service delivery and performance can have a negative impact on the quality of experience (QOE) of the user and reflect badly on vendors.
It is expected that the BYOD momentum will continue unabated, accelerating even to wearable devices.
QOE is a fast-emerging multi-disciplinary field of study based on social psychology, cognitive science, economics and engineering science. It is defined as a measure of a customer's experiences with a service or product, providing an assessment of human expectations, feelings, perceptions, cognition and satisfaction. It is also one of the most important considerations in the evolution of wireless networks.
Let me be clear; QOE differs from quality of service (QOS), which objectively measures the service delivered by a particular vendor. QOE may well be the future frame of reference, not only what is on the horizon in terms of the evolution of wireless networks, but what is relevant today for global industrial economies - including SA's faltering economy.
In SA, the growth of mobile data has created a high level of expectation among mobile operators in terms of infrastructure, network performance and adaptability. However, some industry commentators say it will be difficult for mobile operators to ensure a consistent QOE for customers, due to network convergence trends that are setting new challenges for network management and driving the need for increased network efficiency and better oversight of differentiated QOS levels.
Against this backdrop, there seems little doubt that future economic growth depends on and could even be defined by QOE. The IT organisations and vendors best able to address this requirement through non-disruptive wireless LAN scalability and density management technologies will most likely emerge as the new industry leaders.
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