Austin, TX and Washington, DC – February 23, 2024 – Wi-Fi Alliance® applauds the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to approve 6 GHz Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system operators for commercial operations. Today’s approval is a significant milestone for the 6 GHz Wi-Fi® ecosystem that will maintain U.S. momentum in wireless connectivity and innovation.
We also take this opportunity to recognize the multiyear effort by our members and industry stakeholders to advance the development of the 6 GHz AFC resources that were instrumental to this accomplishment.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 80,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the Internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
One of technology’s greatest success stories celebrates a quarter century
Austin, TX – February 15, 2024 – This year marks a significant milestone in the history of technological innovation as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Wi-Fi®, one of technology’s greatest success stories which has revolutionized the interactions essential to both humans and machines.
In 1999, Wi-Fi Alliance®– formerly known as Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) – embarked upon an ambitious journey to promote global adoption of standardized Wi-Fi technology. One of the key first steps was the certification of products that adhered to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard to ensure multi-vendor interoperability and give users the confidence essential to accelerating Wi-Fi adoption. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® has since enabled worldwide interoperability and a robust Wi-Fi device ecosystem that is integral in our daily lives.
Wi-Fi has transformed the way we work, live, and play. It has empowered countless innovations across industries and applications – from devices and services to entire market segments like Internet of Things (IoT), smart homes, and Extended Reality (XR). There are more than 21 billion Wi-Fi devices in use today[1], and Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in smartphones and tablets, provides critical connectivity for homes, enterprises, and service providers, and pushes the boundaries of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi has done more than ever imagined including serving as an engine of economic growth and societal progress.
“Wi-Fi has had a profound impact on our world,” said Kevin Robinson, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi has transcended its initial role as a local networking tool to become a catalyst for equal opportunity innovation and human progress, connecting people, devices, networks, and ideas like never before. We invite the Wi-Fi industry to join us in celebrating this remarkable milestone this year.”
Over the past quarter-century, Wi-Fi has evolved and expanded, with advancements in performance, range, reliability, and security. Today, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™ enables advanced use cases that were previously impractical with wireless technology, and Wi-Fi Alliance is as committed as ever to delivering solutions and features that enrich global Wi-Fi user experiences.
Wi-Fi Alliance will celebrate Wi-Fi’s 25th anniversary throughout 2024, reflecting on its humble beginnings to its status as a cornerstone of modern connectivity, moving the majority of global data traffic. Join us in celebrating 25 years of Wi-Fi at our member meetings and on social media by downloading our digital assets. #WeAreWiFi
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 80,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the Internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED offers a competitive advantage and contributes to improved customer experience
Austin, Texas – February 6, 2024 – Wi-Fi Alliance® members shared company testimonials underscoring the value that Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® delivers to their companies. The top reasons for achieving Wi-Fi CERTIFIED product certification from Wi-Fi Alliance include: emphasis on a standardized method of ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of their Wi-Fi® products, delivering a competitive advantage during RFP processes, and leveraging Wi-Fi CERTIFIED as an effective marketing tool. In markets including Internet of Things (IoT) and enterprise where there is intense competition, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED differentiates products by offering a better customer experience.
These testimonials are a sampling of the value seen from Wi-Fi CERTIFIED by Wi-Fi Alliance’s more than 900 member companies.
“For Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, I think of the top three things. The first is interoperability. Wi-Fi certification helps our devices from different manufacturers work well together. The second is the competitive advantage. Standing out in the crowd and having those logos on our products is so valuable. I actually win RFPs and RFIs over it and have a competitive advantage over my competitors. The third is security. Devices are required to adhere to certain standards and the latest encryption protocols are tested during our Wi-Fi certification, so security is very important to us.” – Rosalie Bibona, Product Management Director of Wireless, Extreme Networks
“We strongly believe in interoperability and given the fact that Wi-Fi is a long-established collection of technologies that has grown and evolved over the years, it is important for us to achieve interoperability with whatever is out there in the real world. That is where certification really plays an important role for our products.” – Danny Lousberg, Head of Product Management, Software, Signify
“Wi-Fi CERTIFIED plays a crucial role in the IoT industry. It ensures that IoT devices meet strict standards, enhancing their reliability, performance, and security. With high interoperability, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices can seamlessly communicate with each other. It sets a very good standard and a benchmark for the expectation of the experience that the consumer can get.” – Alex Yang, Co-Founder and COO, Tuya Smart
Watch our videos to learn more or visit: https://www.wi-fi.org/certification/member-testimonials
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 80,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
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Robinson brings a track record of success driving the advancement of Wi-Fi®
Austin, Texas – October 18, 2022 – Wi-Fi Alliance® announced the appointment of Kevin Robinson as President and Chief Executive Officer. Robinson will assume the role on October 20, 2022, upon the retirement of Edgar Figueroa. Figueroa served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2007 and announced his plans to retire earlier this year.
“It is a privilege to lead this team into its next era of market impact and advocacy,” said Robinson, incoming President and Chief Executive Officer of Wi-Fi Alliance. “My top priority is to ensure Wi-Fi remains the premier connectivity technology and greatest digital equalizer for people around the globe by harnessing and amplifying the unmatched innovation engine that is the Wi‑Fi industry. In the coming years, Wi-Fi Alliance will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible through connectivity, and we look forward to nurturing a growing community of product and service innovators looking to address the most pressing opportunities together.”
Robinson is a 15-year veteran of Wi-Fi Alliance and stands uniquely poised to lead the organization’s 900+ member companies in its next chapter of global impact. Serving as Wi-Fi Alliance’s VP of Marketing for the last 7 years, Robinson has led many of the organization’s most transformative initiatives and has been a leading ambassador for promoting Wi‑Fi and Wi‑Fi Alliance as a collaboration forum worldwide. Prior to joining Wi-Fi Alliance, Robinson served as a Captain in the Infantry of the United States Army. Robinson steps into the CEO role with a passion for leading the next Wi-Fi renaissance — relentlessly making the case for essential spectrum for Wi-Fi, listening to the needs of a vibrant and diverse Wi-Fi industry, and ushering in the next wave of market innovation that only Wi-Fi can deliver.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Edgar for his 15 years of leadership and tireless commitment to the organization that has established Wi-Fi as a ubiquitous and fundamental driver of the global economy,” said Carlos Cordeiro, Chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance Board of Directors. “As we move into this next generation of growth and collaboration with member companies, Kevin understands the legacy he inherits and the importance of a dynamic Wi-Fi Alliance to the continuing success of our industry. Kevin stands as a visionary leader who will invigorate this preeminent industry body as it takes on new global challenges and seizes opportunities that lay ahead.”
As Wi-Fi Alliance drives adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, Robinson plans to lead from a place of industry outreach and unification. He plans to focus on three particular areas: securing sufficient, harmonized global Wi‑Fi spectrum, deepening engagement and cohesion across the broader Wi-Fi ecosystem, and evolving the Wi-Fi Alliance organization to ensure it is as nimble as the industry it serves.
With 900+ member companies, Wi-Fi Alliance is on the forefront of driving Wi-Fi technology adoption. Robinson is committed to maintaining the vibrancy of the organization, and to actively recruiting the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to participate in Wi-Fi Alliance. Robinson will help Wi-Fi Alliance expand global awareness of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ and evolve as a premier collaboration forum, leading a new era of spectrum policy and amplifying the economics made possible by wireless connectivity.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 75,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Austin, TX and Washington, D.C. – September 9, 2022 – Wi-Fi Alliance® welcomes today’s action by the United States Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to revise the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that authorize the release of certain technology in the context of standards setting and development in standards organizations. The revised rule allows all Wi-Fi Alliance members to fully collaborate within our organization on the vital work of advancing Wi-Fi® globally. Industry-wide collaboration among nearly 900 Wi-Fi Alliance global member companies is essential to the success of Wi-Fi, which billions of users rely on each day.
Wi-Fi Alliance thanks the United States Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security for providing important clarification and enabling Wi-Fi Alliance members to fully engage in our activities.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
wi-fi.org/beacon
wi-fi.org/signal
facebook.com/wificertified
twitter.com/wifialliance
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Media Contact:
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
Austin, TX and Washington, D.C. – August 12, 2022 – Wi-Fi Alliance® welcomes today’s D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to uphold the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 5.9 GHz Order. This is an important victory for America’s technological leadership, economy, and consumers who rely on Wi-Fi® connectivity now more than ever. This decision removes the regulatory uncertainty surrounding use of the 5.9 GHz band, enabling Wi-Fi Alliance members to expedite delivery of urgently needed Wi-Fi solutions.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
wi-fi.org/beacon
wi-fi.org/signal
facebook.com/wificertified
twitter.com/wifialliance
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Media Contact:
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
Wi-Fi inherent strengths and extensive portfolio drive its leading role in IoT
Austin, TX – July 14, 2022 – Global ubiquity and prominence in delivering the internet make Wi-Fi® an obvious choice for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices in both residential and industrial environments. Wi-Fi is uniquely suited to support IoT products and applications with its wide-ranging capabilities and proliferation as a global standard. Wi-Fi will play a role in almost every IoT environment, either alone or alongside more specialized protocols or technologies.
“Wi-Fi has been delivering the “internet” in Internet of Things to more applications, more use cases, and more environments than any other IoT technology option,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance®. “The IoT is meant to enrich people’s lives, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED solutions deliver the quality, reliability, and security that enable the IoT’s full potential.”
“Wi-Fi addresses the needs of various device types and use cases in the IoT market,” said Phil Solis, research director, IDC. “Wi-Fi can deliver a wide range of data rates and ranges at varying price points because there are an abundance of Wi-Fi chips supporting different levels of complexity and several unlicensed spectrum bands from sub-1 GHz to 6 GHz. It is this diversity in chips designs that allow Wi-Fi to meet the broadest array of IoT product and network requirements.”
Wi-Fi Alliance outlines eight Wi-Fi competencies that should be considered when selecting an IoT technology:
Wi-Fi’s extensive portfolio addresses IoT use cases that support high throughput and low latency applications, such as AR/VR, and long range, low power requirements for asset tracking applications or rural irrigation systems. Wi-Fi Alliance certifications, including Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Easy Connect™, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management™ deliver capabilities to meet unique IoT requirements across residential, industrial, and other IoT environments. The enormous potential of the IoT market has resulted in devices brought to market without sufficient testing, delivering a less-than-optimal user experience. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices meet high quality standards for the latest security, interoperability, and a range of application-specific protocols to deliver a good experience for users and network operators.
“Wi-Fi 6 is ideal for connecting the smart home, and a notable benefit for IoT is a feature called Target Wake Time (TWT), helping ensure that client devices can save power and extend their battery life—a critical advantage for IoT devices. Wi-Fi 6 uses a combination of technologies—including OFDMA and 1024 QAM modulation—to improve spectral efficiency, boost speed and support many devices in a confined area, which is now an important consideration in the home where many appliances and other IoT devices are connected to the home hub and several users may be consuming high quality video, gaming, or AR/VR at the same time,” said Adlane Fellah, senior analyst, Maravedis Research. “Wi-Fi 6 can now also support many of the requirements for industrial use cases, with enhancements to latency, determinism and power efficiency. In a smart factory, Wi-Fi might deliver the optimal cost/performance for high bandwidth cameras that power augmented reality services and Wi-Fi HaLow might be optimal for machinery monitoring, which needs very low power and low bandwidth.”
“Wi-Fi plays a crucial role in enabling industrial IoT use cases and helping companies achieve desired business outcomes in this important market sector. At Aruba, as part of Aruba ESP, we are working with our customers and our partner ecosystem to ensure secure, seamless IoT connectivity to enable hyper-aware facilities. By building GPS and Wi-Fi Location capabilities into our wireless technology, our wireless access points are equipped to automatically locate themselves and provide highly accurate indoor positioning — empowering wayfinding, asset tracking, and people tracking use cases in industrial IoT environments.” – Chuck Lukaszewski, VP and Wireless CTO at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
“With the introduction of Smart Homes, Smart Cities, and the increase in monitoring of manufacturing facilities, Wi-Fi offers the best solution to communicate with the IoT devices that make these possible. Wi-Fi provides the range required for effective service to IoT devices while maintaining privacy and security, and it is already in use within these ecosystems. Features such as Wi-Fi Easy Connect, Wi-Fi EasyMesh and WPA3 support simple and secure deployment. Coupled with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, the increase in useable spectrum results in a longer life cycle and a more productive experience.” – Luther Smith, Distinguished Technologist and Director of Wireless at CableLabs
“Wi-Fi has been fundamental to IoT devices in residential environments, providing a foundation to power Wi-Fi devices and also provide backhaul for battery operated devices using other low power technologies. CommScope backhauls billions of IoT devices with Wi-Fi gateways, access points and extender solutions across cable, optical and fixed wireless access connected homes. With the imminent deployment of the Matter IoT solution and the incorporation of Wi-Fi as a primary protocol for connected IoT devices, we expect to see even more relevance for the specific IoT features added to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 2 MHz channels, which was a new Wi-Fi 6 capability added to extend the reach of Wi-Fi narrow band Smart Home solutions.” – Charles Cheevers, CTO of CommScope Home Networks
“As IoT is becoming instrumental in digital transformation, we see the possibilities that result from innovating at the intersection of Wi-Fi and IoT. Ruckus Networks enables our customers to leverage their existing wired and Wi-Fi infrastructure to deliver new IoT technologies securely and economically across enterprise and industrial markets. Specifically, the global adoption of Wi-Fi has allowed Ruckus Networks to accelerate the delivery and adoption of IoT solutions such as environmental controls, industrial automation and enhanced security to name a few examples.”– Bart Giordano, SVP and GM of Ruckus Networks, CommScope
“With the mass connections of IoT devices, Wi-Fi is evolving to deliver built-in controlling capabilities to various environments. Wi-Fi capabilities now support a wider range of products, many of which require more advanced management platforms to control and ensure the highest level of performance.” – Mr. Ashish Keshari, Senior Manager of R&D at GX Group
“Wi-Fi is everywhere; it allows direct connections to the internet and provides reliable and robust connectivity for IoT applications, which require a range of data rates, and offers a low power profile for battery-operated devices. Over the last 20 years, Wi-Fi has evolved greatly, advancing through Wi-Fi 4, 5 and now, 6 and 6E, improving performance and customer experience with each advancement. Infineon is committed to delivering high-performance Wi-Fi for industrial and consumer IoT applications.” –Sivaram Trikutam, Vice President of Wi-Fi Product Line at Infineon
“Leveraging the broad scope of Wi-Fi as a solution for IoT, including Wi-Fi 6 and the new 6GHz spectrum, our technology enables everything from low speed, long range devices in 2.4GHz to high speed, low latency devices in both 5 and 6GHz all at low power. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the Wi-Fi Alliance to further expand capabilities in the IoT space.” Rahul Patel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Connectivity, Cloud and Networking at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“As one of the most widely used IoT connectivity technologies, Wi-Fi gives a solid foundation to begin building IoT deployments. As a leader in pure-play IoT, we believe in leveraging multiple protocols like Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, and more to meet the needs of our customers and Wi-Fi plays a critical role in how we integrate them together.” – said Mitch Klein, Director of Alliances Strategy at Silicon Labs, Inc.
“Wi-Fi is a ubiquitous technology that continues to create opportunities for innovation within the internet of connected things. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program provides interoperability assurance, which enables connectivity leaders – such as Texas Instruments – to offer reliable and secure Wi-Fi solutions for industrial and residential applications, whether that’s in smart buildings, smart grid infrastructure, or medical applications.” – Marian Kost, Vice President and General Manager of Connectivity at Texas Instruments
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Today’s Wi-Fi® seeing unprecedented demand, growth underscored by Wi-Fi Alliance® members
Austin, Texas – May 11, 2022 – Since its introduction in 2019, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6™ has seen rapid adoption, surpassing 50 percent market share in three years compared to four years for Wi-Fi 5. This accelerated adoption is driven by demand for high performance Wi-Fi® in phones, tablets, and PCs, and advanced features and capabilities are bringing new opportunities for Internet of Things (IoT), service provider deployments, and dense public areas to deliver better experiences. Wi-Fi 6 extension into 6 GHz has further attributed to increasing demand, and Wi-Fi 6E has seen unprecedented interest among regulatory bodies worldwide, as well as strong adoption in products and in service provider and enterprise deployments. More than 2.3 billion Wi-Fi 6 products and 350 million Wi-Fi 6E products are expected to enter the market in 2022, and more than 15 percent of all Wi-Fi 6 shipments will also be Wi-Fi 6E this year1.
In 2022, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 added enhancements to best deliver advanced use cases. Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are optimally equipped to meet today’s connectivity demands and allow a steady rate of new product and service innovation.
“Wi-Fi 6E is widely available and here today and Wi-Fi Alliance® members are seeing strong demand that will continue for years to come,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 400 Wi-Fi 6E devices, equating to hundreds of thousands of interoperable Wi-Fi devices that are already delivering a high-quality user experience.”
Product vendors and enterprises are driving the transition to Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E today, and strong momentum in three particular areas underscores the need to consider these technologies in product plans and deployment decisions.
Product momentum
There are now hundreds of devices supporting Wi-Fi 6E, with more than 70 laptop models, dozens of consumer and enterprise access points, smartphones – including marquee devices like Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Plus – and smart televisions. By 2025, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are expected to surpass 80 percent market share and dominate the smartphone market2. Companies are seeing unprecedented demand for Wi-Fi 6E products, which is having positive impacts on their business, and the expanded capacity and wider channels are bringing benefits to users and enterprises. Other companies are meeting significant shipment milestones, noting that customers and carrier partners are ramping up Wi-Fi 6E today. With growing demand for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E and a supply chain coming back into balance after the pandemic, the technologies are poised for accelerated product adoption.
Deployment momentum
Several recent announcements demonstrate the momentum by service providers around the world to make Wi-Fi 6E available to their customers. Recognizing the growth in number of home-connected devices and need for high-quality networks, service providers are bringing speed and capacity improvements through Wi-Fi 6E gateways to ensure subscribers can rely on today’s Wi-Fi as a foundational component of their digital lives. Among the reasons for deploying Wi-Fi 6E for customers include greater support for downlink and uplink speeds, reducing network saturation and improving the remote work and home entertainment network experience. Successful trials demonstrating Wi-Fi 6E’s tremendous potential have delivered fast connection speeds with low latencies, and healthcare facilities and education campuses are investing in low-latency, high-capacity Wi-Fi 6E networks to deliver mission-critical, high-bandwidth applications and services.
Regulatory momentum
Two years ago, the U.S. opened the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi. Since then, more than 60 countries across Americas, EMEA, and APAC have or are considering making the band available for Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem is expanding fast, and Wi-Fi 6E certification helps ensure worldwide interoperability for devices no matter where they are deployed. Several countries, including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates have made the upper and lower 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz) available for Wi-Fi 6E. By making the full band available, countries such as Saudi Arabia are looking to harness the full potential of Wi-Fi 6E, noting that Wi-Fi is “crucial” to their citizens. Other countries have opened the lower part of the band (5925-6425 MHz) and their efforts are being applauded, but Wi-Fi 6E and future generations will best deliver their full potential by using the entire 1200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
wi-fi.org/beacon
wi-fi.org/signal
facebook.com/wificertified
twitter.com/wifialliance
linkedin.com/company/wi-fi-alliance
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Media Contact:
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
Top certifiers demonstrate commitment to Wi-Fi® quality
Austin, Texas – March 23, 2022 – Wi-Fi Alliance® honors members who have demonstrated their commitment to Wi-Fi® quality, interoperability, and security by achieving the most Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products in 2021. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED is a recognized brand for consumer, enterprise, and operator products meeting strict industry-agreed standards. Achieving product certification demonstrates a company’s commitment to high quality Wi-Fi and good user experience.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products undergo rigorous testing to validate interoperability with other certified products, giving users confidence that Wi-Fi devices work well together. The list of 2021 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED leaders include:
“Wi-Fi Alliance members drive Wi-Fi adoption with their commitment to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, which ensures the growing variety of Wi-Fi devices continues to work well together,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance. “We commend the Wi-Fi Alliance members earning the ‘Top Certifier’ distinction for their commitment to quality products that advance the Wi-Fi experience for all users.”
Wi-Fi device shipments reached more than four billion in 2021, and with nearly 18 billion devices in use today1, Wi-Fi is relied on to provide quality connectivity across all possible environments. With the number of devices and applications growing each year, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED identifies Wi-Fi products providing the most consistent and reliable experience. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED gives companies three flexible testing options – including QuickTrack, the newest certification path introduced in 2021 – to ensure Wi-Fi Alliance members can deliver the highest quality Wi-Fi with their Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products. Users should look for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo when making purchase decisions or view the Wi-Fi Alliance Product Finder for certified devices.
Please watch our video to learn more about the value of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED.
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
wi-fi.org/beacon
wi-fi.org/signal
facebook.com/wificertified
twitter.com/wifialliance
linkedin.com/company/wi-fi-alliance
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Media Contact:
Michelle Panico
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
More than 18 billion devices in use, 4.4 billion shipping in 2022
Austin, TX – January 20, 2022 – Wi-Fi® users demand more efficient, reliable, and secure connectivity in 2022. 6 GHz regulatory approvals, remote-hybrid work scenarios, and complex connectivity systems in home, enterprise, and Internet of Things (IoT) environments will only continue to drive demand for high capacity, low latency Wi-Fi. In 2022, nearly 18 billion Wi-Fi devices will be in use, and more than 4.4 billion devices will ship this year.1 As Wi-Fi momentum mounts, Wi-Fi Alliance® looks ahead at four Wi-Fi trends expected in 2022.
Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E further adoption in homes and enterprises
Wi-Fi 6 reached 50 percent market adoption more quickly than previous Wi-Fi generations, fueled by demand for high quality Wi-Fi and more efficient, reliable connectivity in phones, tablets, and access points (AP). Additionally, enhanced performance, low latency, and greater power efficiencies allow Wi-Fi 6 to satisfy diverse needs of IoT in unrivaled ways. Increasing availability of 6 GHz worldwide coupled with Wi-Fi 6E interoperability certification created the foundation for a diverse Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem, as more than 350 million Wi-Fi 6E devices will enter the market in 2022.2 In 2022, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E will become more commonplace in daily life, both in homes and enterprises. Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E solutions for PCs and notebooks and mesh systems have already been introduced, and we expect many more home networking, automotive, IoT, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) solutions supporting Wi-Fi 6 to make their way into users’ hands. Wi-Fi 6E access points will be deployed in home networks to meet the needs of bandwidth intensive, latency sensitive applications, and more service providers will recognize the tremendous speed and capacity benefits Wi-Fi 6E delivers to customers by making Wi-Fi 6E home gateways and access points part of their subscription plans.
Wi-Fi Alliance advances AFC framework
Global momentum for Wi-Fi 6E increases daily, and there is a sustained impetus to make the full 1200 MHz of spectrum in 6 GHz available for Wi-Fi in more countries. In 2022, Wi-Fi Alliance will continue to lead development of the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) framework to ensure a diverse ecosystem of AFC service providers necessary to maximize adoption of outdoor and standard power Wi-Fi 6E in regions requiring AFC. The AFC system, already adopted into the 6 GHz regulatory framework in Canada and U.S., is also being considered by regulators in other countries. Wi-Fi Alliance has already announced the release of specifications and test plans for AFC system implementation, and more than a dozen potential AFC service providers have expressed interest to the Federal Communications Commission. This year, expect Wi-Fi Alliance to continue to maximize the adoption of standard power and outdoor Wi-Fi 6E and accelerate delivery of Wi-Fi 6E benefits.
Wi-Fi meets diverse IoT requirements
The global smart home market will reach more than $53 billion in 20223, fueled by consumer desire for connected appliances, security systems, and smart speakers that help save energy, time, and money. As companies invest trillions of dollars in IoT and consumers add more connected devices to their homes, Wi-Fi will further transform the smart home market in 2022. Wi-Fi has long been the technology of choice for IoT, and an expanded Wi-Fi IoT portfolio can now better meet diverse smart home connectivity needs. Wi-Fi 6 reinforces Wi-Fi is a premier option for IoT; Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E include features such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) that can improve performance in dense environments while target wake time (TWT) reduces battery consumption and makes Wi-Fi an ideal solution for sensor-based devices. Recently introduced Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow™ delivers long range, low power Wi-Fi and enables a variety of new, power-efficient use cases for residential IoT and IIoT environments, as well as retail, agriculture, healthcare, smart home, and smart city markets. All Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ devices require strong WPA3™ security, with the highest protections for IoT environments.
Wi-Fi networks reach new optimization levels
The growing number of devices and users relying on video conferencing, voice-over-IP services, X Reality (XR) applications, and high definition (UHD) streaming at home and in enterprise networks have placed additional strain on both network managers and service providers. The additional data traffic and advanced applications used on today’s Wi-Fi networks require a new level of network optimization. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED portfolio of network optimization technologies has seen numerous advancements, resulting in Wi-Fi with greater mobility, enhanced network efficiency, and improved network visibility and management in home and enterprise networks in 2022. Optimizations including Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Easy Connect™ and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED EasyMesh™ now deliver more secure, smart, and efficient Wi-Fi home networks. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Optimized Connectivity™ improves mobility when roaming within and across Wi-Fi networks and between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management™ brings robust service delivery and high quality Wi-Fi experiences, while Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Data Elements™ helps service providers and network managers better manage complex Wi-Fi networks. In 2022 we will also see more Wi-Fi deployments by service providers in dense, city and public areas that support Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint®, a foundation of OpenRoaming framework, which raise the bar for speed, security, and reliability.
For more insight into 2022 Wi-Fi trends from Wi-Fi Alliance members, and to watch 2022 Wi-Fi trends videos from AirTies, Aruba, ASSIA, Boingo, Broadcom Inc., CommScope, Extreme Networks, HFCL Limited, Intel Corporation, NetExperience, onsemi, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., please visit: https://bit.ly/2022WiFiTrends
1 IDC Research, 2022
2 IDC Research, 2022
3 Statista, 2021
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 70,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
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