Although 2024 has only just begun, it is already shaping up to be an active year. Across industries, powerful tech trends are emerging that will impact both today and tomorrow. With this in mind, it is crucial to stay informed, be proactive, and invest in your own development. Doing so ensures you bring the most current thinking and best engineering practices to your workplace and career.
To help, here are several top tech trends of 2024, shared by leading experts, along with targeted IEEE course programs to support your continuing education journey. Stay ahead, and let IEEE guide you toward a productive year.
Data Privacy
First, data privacy remains a growing concern. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 67% of respondents had little understanding of how companies use their data, while 81% expressed concern. As personal data is increasingly collected, sold, and exposed to breaches, mechanisms to protect privacy are more important than ever.
IEEE Resource: Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age (Four-Course Program)
Brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, this four-course program provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Learn More>>
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
Next, IoT security is critical. With 15 billion devices connected worldwide—expected to double by 2030—each smart device becomes a data endpoint. As a result, protecting networks and hardware through IoT security techniques has never been more urgent.
IEEE Resource: All About IoT Security (Six-Course Program)
Developed by IEEE Educational Activities with support from IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, this six-course program is designed to provide learners with a broad overview of IoT security. It starts with challenges such as malware and botnets followed by vulnerabilities, network monitoring, setting up of testbeds, and application of blockchain in IoT security. Learn More>>
Energy Efficiency/Sustainability
Experts agree that the continued development of sustainable electricity sources will not only contribute to energy efficiency goals but ensure greater accessibility to energy worldwide. According to Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, Applications at Cisco, “the fast-emerging category of energy networking, which combines the capabilities of software-defined networking and an electric power system made up of direct-current microgrids, will contribute to energy efficiency [and optimize] power usage, distribution, transmission, and storage.”
Microgrids (local, self-sufficient energy systems designed to support a defined community of users), as well as minigrids (smaller-scale microgrids designed to distribute electricity generated by such renewable sources as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, hydropower, and diesel generators), will be especially critical for the estimated 750-800 million people worldwide who currently have no access to electricity. Two-thirds of this number live in sub-Saharan Africa.
IEEE Resource: Minigrids in Africa (Four-Course Program)
In this training, learners will explore the context and roles for minigrids in Africa, as well as appropriate technologies, maintenance, sustainability, operational considerations for connecting to national grids, and regulatory and policy considerations. Learn More>>
High-Performance Computing
Though high-performance computing has been used for decades in academic and government settings, the recent proliferation in the quantity of data that’s become available and shared across an increasingly expanding number of hardware and software touchpoints is driving the demand for greater computing power. Thanks to the broad range of mission-critical applications for high-performance computing— including weather forecasting, healthcare/drug development, quantum mechanics, climate research, and more— experts confirm that there will be an ongoing need for data to be processed at incredibly high speeds of quadrillions of calculations per second and even faster.
IEEE Resource: High Performance Computing Technologies, Solutions to Exascale Systems, and Beyond (Five-Course Program)
This course program, developed in partnership with IEEE Future Directions, focuses on high-performance computing, how to address challenges and solutions in the Exascale era, the leading edge of HPC research, and more. Learn More>>
High-Efficiency Wi-Fi
According to telecom expert Shaun Carlson of Arvig, “the sixth generation of Wi-Fi networks— dubbed Wi-Fi 6 and technically known as [IEEE Standard] 802.11ax— promises major improvements in the capacity and capability of wireless networks” relative to the previous generation. Benefits of Wi-Fi 6 include up to 40% faster connectivity/speed for supported devices, increased network capacity through the use of multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, and greater efficiency that conserves battery power. “As more Wi-Fi 6-certified devices hit the market – from routers to laptops and more,” said Carlson, “it’s a good time for businesses to consider how their networks can accommodate Wi-Fi 6.”
IEEE Resource: IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) (Two-Course Program)
In this training, learners will gain an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, which led to these improvements. Learn More>>
Configuration Management
The growing threat of cyber attacks involving ransomware, malware, computer worms, and other nefarious forms of software continues to rise to the point where an attack now occurs every 39 seconds at a cost of US$6 billion globally (and potentially over US$10 billion by 2025). Experts report that 95% of cyber security breaches are a result of human error and the action of users who unknowingly view or interact with bad actors/sites and expose their system(s) to malicious code. As a result, configuration management— an IT process that establishes configuration standards for each asset in a company’s network, automatically alerting business leaders of any issues that require updates, reconfiguration, or patches and promoting consistency across the network— is becoming an increasingly standard approach that companies are employing to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats.
IEEE Resource: Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering (Five-Course Program)
Developed with the IEEE Computer Society, this course program teaches essential configuration management (CM) core concepts for both hardware and software starting with requirements specified in IEEE Standard 828. Learn More>>
Time-Sensitive Networking
Housed within the family of IEEE 802 Standards, time-sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications. It is increasingly delivering the benefits of speed, accuracy, and reliability to a broad range of industries, from industrial automation and manufacturing to automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.
IEEE Resource: New Course on Time-Sensitive Networking!
Virtual Local Area Network Bridging with TSN Enhancements introduces the components of network architecture that play a vital role in time-sensitive networking (TSN), and which provide the tools needed by network architects to properly architect networks to support the delivery of data for time-sensitive applications. Learn More>>
Resources
Law, Marcus. (20 December 2023). Top 10: Technology Trends for 2024. Technology.
(8 January 2024). 20 Tech Experts on The Tools And Trends That Will Dominate 2024. Forbes.
Cozzi, Laura, Wetzel, Daniel, Tonolo, Gianluca, and Hyppolite II, Jacob. (3 November 2022). For the First Time in Decades, the Number of People Without Access to Electricity is Set to Increase in 2022. International Energy Agency.
Mcclain, Colleen, Faverio, Michelle, Anderson, Monica, and Park, Eugenie. (18 October 2023). How Americans View Data Privacy. Pew Research Center.
Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (27 July 2023). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) Connected Devices Worldwide from 2019 To 2023, With Forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.
Becher, Brooke. (5 October 2023). IoT Security: What It Is and Why It’s Important. Built In.
Carlson, Shaun/Arvig. (26 April 2022). Wi-Fi 6 is Here: The 3 Biggest Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Network. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Boskamp, Elie. (15 June 2023). 30 Crucial Cybersecurity Statistics [2023]: Data, Trends and More. Zippia.
(1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard.
Most connected users worldwide have at some point experienced the agony and frustration of a slow wireless network. However, speeds are increasing thanks to IEEE Standard 802.11ax and its impact on business and society as we know it.
Officially certified in 2020, IEEE 802.11ax, also known as “Wi-Fi 6,” delivers throughput per user via wireless LAN (WLAN) technology that’s four times faster than the preceding Wi-Fi standard. (IEEE 802.11ac, known as “Wi-Fi 5”, was introduced in 2013.) Offering increased bandwidth, more efficient use of channels and router technology, the ability to conserve power through a proactive “Target Wake Time” feature, and updated data encryption capabilities, IEEE Standard 802.11ax is poised to significantly enhance the speed and reliability of wireless networks.
Over the last several years, wireless connections have especially suffered in high-density environments. Large numbers of devices are connected to a network in such places. The increased adoption of internet-connected devices worldwide contributes to the growth of these environments. Furthermore, advances in technology have driven more companies to modernize their wireless networks. Those trends are only expected to continue. Research firm Markets and Market Data projects the global Wi-Fi market to rise in value from US$12.3 billion to US$31.3 billion by 2027.
High Efficiency, Reliable Wi-Fi is Critical to Industries Across the Board
In our current global Wi-Fi landscape that continues to both expand rapidly and advance technologically, the need for speed and high efficiency is more imperative than ever to industries of all kinds. Check out these examples.
According to a recent study by The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), nearly 60% of meeting planners surveyed claimed they wouldn’t prioritize a venue unless they had a guarantee of internet performance.
Thanks to the adoption of Wi-Fi 6, airports will no longer struggle to reconfigure their networks when travelers download content and check emails. In essence, it prevents overloading the building’s wireless network just prior to boarding.
Automotive
In the automotive industry, Wi-Fi 6 will more quickly and comprehensively generate telematic data. This can include engine performance, braking and steering systems, and real-time traffic conditions. Moreover, features such as surround-view cameras and roadside assistance will benefit. This will allow car manufacturers to enhance safety and tailor service packages for drivers. Additionally, car repairs can get underway faster. Wi-Fi 6 will enable car dealers and repair shops to connect wirelessly to a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics. This allows them to identify problems remotely and prepare a repair estimate even before the customer comes into the shop. Furthermore, Wi-Fi 6 will also be a boon for in-car ‘infotainment’. It will support the real-time speed required for streaming content.
Healthcare
In the healthcare arena, the use of telemedicine rose precipitously during the pandemic. Many medical practitioners and patients continue to use it. At the same time, more medical devices (such as x-ray and MRI machines) are going wireless, which places additional data demands on wireless networks. With Wi-Fi 6, healthcare facilities operating such equipment remotely will be able to transmit data with greater speed and reliability. They can also place mission-critical equipment on a different band, and better optimize their wireless capabilities.
Other Industries
Manufacturing and logistics companies with Wi-Fi 6 capabilities can run diagnostics and maintenance on equipment remotely. This helps reduce costly downtime in the manufacturing, supply chain, quality control, and distribution functions.
Additional uses are areas such as the educational and the defense industries. In both these sectors, training in “real-life” situations is often conducted in simulated settings for safety and/or cost reasons. Wi-Fi 6 can enable greater access to in-depth, real-world simulations for training purposes.
Wi-Fi 6 Expectations
The bottom line?
In an economy where the speed and quality of network connections can drive the user experience and ultimately dictate a company’s success, Wi-Fi 6 holds promise in a variety of fields. Global consultant Deloitte states that Wi-Fi 6 will be “indispensable to the future of enterprise connectivity” across all connected industries.
Are You Up to Speed on Wi-Fi 6?
The course program, IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6), takes learners on the latest step in a journey of continuous innovation in wireless local area networks (LAN) standards. In it, expert instructors discuss IEEE Standard 802.11ax, the underlying technology of the latest Wi-Fi 6 products.
Unlike previous amendments (e.g., IEEE Standard 802.11ac and IEEE Standard 802.11n), which were focused mainly on increasing the peak throughput, 802.11ax focuses on achieving Higher Efficiency (HE). It improves metrics that reflect user experience, such as average throughput per station. This was achieved by better physical layer efficiency and spectrum utilization. Flexible multi-access and scheduled transmission schemes also contribute. Increasing the spatial reuse and improving interference management between neighboring networks, particularly in dense environments, were key.
This training provides an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers. The first part of the program focuses on the PHY layer. The second part focuses on the MAC layer.
Resources
What Is 802.11ac? Cisco.
Badman, Lee. What’s the difference between 802.11ac vs. 802.11ax? Tech Target.
Serrano, Jesus. (4 January 2023). 6 WiFi Trends to Watch Out For in 2023. Galgus.
Kerravala, Zeus. (11 October 2021). Why Businesses Need to Upgrade And Modernize Their Wi-Fi Networks. Forbes.
Wi-Fi 6 Industry Impact Report. Qualcomm.
Tang, Kevin. (16 February 2022). Wi-Fi is Essential for Driving Automotive Transformation. Wi-Fi Alliance.
(29 September 2022.) Telehealth in the Pandemic—How Has It Changed Health Care Delivery in Medicaid and Medicare? U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Dohnalek, Mark. (18 June 2021). Wi-Fi 6: What it Means and Why it Matters for New Product Development. Supply Chain Management Review.
Hupfer, Susanne. Bucaille, Ariane. Mazumder, Sayantani. Westcott, Kevin. (1 December 2021). Wi-Fi 6: Unsung, Underexposed—and Indispensable to the Future of Enterprise Connectivity. Deloitte Insights.
A number of key tech trends are dominating industry headlines in 2023. They’re disrupting a diverse range of industries. This signals the world’s entry into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (“Industry 4.0”). This era will be marked by rapid change to technology, industries, societal patterns, and processes. These changes are driven by increasing interconnectivity and smart automation.
Are you up to speed on these trends?
Wi-Fi 6
Officially certified in 2020, IEEE Standard 802.11ax™ enhances the speed and reliability of wireless networks. (It is especially effective in high-density environments where a large number of devices are connected to a network.) This standard represents the underlying technology of the latest Wi-Fi 6 products.
According to Network World’s Neal Weinberg, “Wi-Fi 6 has quickly become the de facto standard for wireless LAN technology (WLAN) superseding Wi-Fi 5, and delivers improved performance, extended coverage and longer battery life compared to Wi-Fi 5.” Thanks to its more efficient quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and spectrum utilization, he expects Wi-Fi 6 to deliver a nearly 40% increase in pure throughput.
Impacting everything from telehealth and security to defense, food service, manufacturing, the automotive industry, and much more, IEEE Standard 802.11ax ushers in a new era in remote imaging, surveillance, and smart communications in today’s highly connected landscape.
Configuration Management
As part of an alarming and ongoing trend, Security Magazine reported that global cyber attacks in 2022 increased by 38% over 2021 levels. Based on similar findings in a recent Allianz Risk Barometer report, Forbes contributor Chuck Brooks concurred that cyber security threats remain a top issue for organizations. This is true even amid other recent worldwide challenges. Specifically, “cyber perils are the biggest concern for companies globally,” Brooks said. “The threat of ransomware attacks, data breaches, or major IT outages worries companies even more than business and supply chain disruption, natural disasters, or the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have heavily affected firms in the past year.”
Configuration management (CM) is among an organization’s best defenses against this growing threat. According to cybersecurity provider UpGuard, CM principles help optimize servers, networks, operating systems, and other IT assets. They also enhance the consistency and traceability of configuration changes, minimizing the risk of data breaches.
Benefitting a diverse range of industries— from finance and healthcare to engineering, automotive, defense, and many others— CM helps build IT systems that better manage and respond to critical incidents. It enhances safety, security, and reliability.
Time Sensitive Networking
Fueled by a set of IEEE 802® standards known industry-wide as the “TSN toolset,” time sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications having different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. According to CISCO’s white paper entitled “Time-Sensitive Networking: A Technical Introduction,” “TSN technology is centrally managed and delivers guarantees of delivery.” In the case of autonomous vehicles, for example, TSN helps provide the quick processing and clear communication needed for the safe and accurate operation of everything from the steering wheel and brakes to anti-lock/anti-slip functions and road-scanning systems. And in the world of industrial automation, TSN helps ensure connectivity and real-time quality of service to mission-critical industrial applications involving robots, smart sensor/meters, intelligent manufacturing, and more.
Because it allows engineers and technicians to determine the exact time it will take for traffic to travel across a network (achieving what’s known as “determinism”) and also assesses delays in the process, TSN will deliver tremendous benefits to a diverse range of industries that rely on rapid and reliable connectivity, including industrial automation, manufacturing, automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
According to Statista, the number of IoT-connected devices globally is expected to triple from 9.7 billion in 2020 to over 29 billion in 2030. While this trend reflects greater global connectivity than ever, it also exposes this rapidly growing number of devices to a broad range of threats. Such threats arise if they’re not properly protected. Because IoT attacks present a variety of risks, the need for and value of robust IoT security has never been more imperative. An understanding of the evolving legislation behind IoT security and the need for best security practices will impact everyone. This includes product developers and device manufacturers to engineers, smart city planners, and more.
Let IEEE Help You Sharpen Your Skills and Prepare for the Future
Don’t fall behind in 2023! Stay on top of these major trends and technologies by staying up to date with IEEE. You can find training on a variety of hot topics by browsing the IEEE Learning Network, an online platform featuring hundreds of resources.
Resources
Weinberg, Neal. (24 May 2022). What is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and why do we need it? Network World.
UpGuard. (1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard Website content..
Brooks, Chuck. (21 January 2022). Cybersecurity in 2022 – A Fresh Look at Some Very Alarming Stats. Forbes.
Anderson, Joy LePree. (20 January 2023). Global Cyberattacks Increased 38% in 2022. Security Magazine.
(2017). Time-Sensitive Networking: A Technical Introduction. CISCO White Paper.
Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (22 November 2022). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices worldwide from 2019 to 2021, with forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.
Wi-Fi has been around for over 20 years. With each new generation, the world has seen remarkable gains in wireless performance, connectivity, and user experience. Wi-Fi 6E is a game-changing version of Wi-Fi that brings the technology to the 6 GHz frequency band. Past articles have outlined the technical differences between the IEEE standards known widely as Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax), as well as the improvements made for Wi-Fi 6E. While Wi-Fi 6E is faster than previous versions (9.6 Gbps versus 3.5 Gbps on Wi-Fi 5), it isn’t all about speed. The real value of Wi-Fi 6 will be its ability to improve the network when many devices are connected.
When Wi-Fi 5 came out, the average U.S. household had an average of five Wi-Fi devices. Today, homes have nine Wi-Fi devices on average. Experts predict this number to jump to nearly 50 Wi-Fi devices within several years, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Wi-Fi 6 will alleviate the issues of connecting dozens of Wi-Fi devices on a single network. An essential feature of Wi-Fi 6E is that it lets routers communicate with more devices at once, send data to multiple devices in the same broadcast, and allows Wi-Fi devices to schedule check-ins with the router. In addition to being faster with more device capacity, Wi-Fi 6 can improve the battery life of devices while also having a better security protocol.
IoT is Fueling Wireless Growth
By 2025, it is predicted there will be 55.7 billion connected devices worldwide, 75% of which will be connected to an Internet of Things (IoT) platform. The wireless connectivity market is poised to reach US$157 billion by 2027, driven by wearable devices, smart home technology, and cloud service models, all working with IoT devices. While it has been challenging to meet the connectivity demands of IoT in the past, Wi-Fi 6 offers a potential solution. By extending Wi-Fi operation into the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6 can support industrial IoT devices around the globe with high bandwidth, low power, and low latency capabilities.
Wi-Fi 6 and 5G Are Not the Same, But Work Together
It is important to note that some of the featured improvements of Wi-Fi 6 are similar to the emerging 5G cellular standard improvements. Though both standards employ some of the same features, they are different technologies (wireless LAN versus cellular) built for different uses. According to Network World, Wi-Fi is best suited for indoor applications in dense, high-volume environments. While Wi-Fi can work outdoors, 5G is designed to seamlessly offer cell phone coverage as you use your phone’s GPS while driving or check your email while on public transportation. As most smartphones will have both Wi-Fi 6 and 5G built-in, the two technologies will work together to support different use cases across industries.
Wi-Fi 6 Impact on Industry
Wi-Fi 6E extends the capacity, efficiency, coverage, and performance benefits of Wi-Fi 6 and offers incredible value to companies. With Wi-Fi expected to contribute nearly US$5 trillion to the global economy by 2025, more than 2.3 billion Wi-Fi 6 products and 350 million Wi-Fi 6E products entered the market in 2022. According to independent market research firms TechKnowledge Strategies and FeibusTech, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E will offer more bandwidth, greater performance, and compelling user experiences:
- Public Wi-Fi: Venues and providers recognize the potential of Wi-Fi 6 and are working on next-generation applications. Demand is high for Wi-Fi 6 in public venues like airports, stadiums, university campuses, and high-density apartment complexes. Several pilot deployments of Wi-Fi 6 are addressing financial transactions at stadium settings, resolving incidents with minimum disruption at airports via Wi-Fi 6 security cameras, and making video calling smooth without buffering in public settings.
- Home: Wi-Fi 6 routers will improve wireless performance for many situations, including homes with smart home devices (like thermostats and security cameras) or older devices slowing the network, as well as households with streaming difficulties or many neighbors nearby, all of which will have their own routers and collections of devices. FeibusTech forecasts that Wi-Fi 6 will also spark a revolution in the smart home. Virtual assistants, like Amazon Alexa and Google Voice, could have far more processing power and storage available on Wi-Fi 6.
- Enterprise: Overall, the transition to Wi-Fi 6 in enterprise deployments is expected to be more of an evolutionary story. However, CIOs and other IT decision-makers who opt for full-spec Wi-Fi 6 solutions, such as Qualcomm’s Pro platform, can plan for up to 1,500 devices connecting effortlessly on a single access point. Several companies are getting into the arena early. For example, cloud-based applications like Skype and WebEx running on laptop and smartphone apps might have us saying goodbye to traditional desktop phones. Ruckus and Lenovo are making educational applications for students using VR goggles, where Wi-Fi 6 will be critical.
- Automotive: Wi-Fi 6 could be used to revolutionize the automotive market. For autonomous cars, vehicle-to-vehicle communication could be used to prevent accidents and speed up stop-and-go traffic. Likewise, vehicle-to-infrastructure can improve traffic flow at stop lights. In-car entertainment will get a boost from both Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. This combination will offer real-time responsiveness for streaming. Additionally, automobile dealers will be able to connect wirelessly to vehicles’ onboard diagnostics as customers enter the service area. This would help cut wait times and increase the capacity of the service department.
Preparing for Wi-Fi 6— Are You Ready?
Wi-Fi 6 will bring immediate benefits in network speed, capacity, and responsiveness to the global market. Such benefits will allow for new applications in virtually every segment.
Learn more in IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) Part One and Part Two. Join us for this live virtual course program on 21 and 22 February from 12-3pm ET. It will provide an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the physical and medium access control layers. Purchase this course program by 17 February for the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructors.
Can’t make the live sessions? Purchasers will have access to the on-demand version of the course program. See more details>>
Resources
Cisco. (2022). 5 things to know about Wi-Fi 6/6E and Private 5G. Cisco.
Kastrenakes, Jacob. (21 February 2019). Wi-Fi 6: is it really that much faster? The Verge.
Research and Markets. (28 November 2022). Wireless and Fixed Connectivity Market Report 2022. BusinessWire.
Robinson, Kevin. (21 March 2022). Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E: The key to IoT. Wi-Fi Alliance.
TechKnowledge Strategies. (2019). Wi-Fi 6 Industry Impact Report. Qualcomm.
Telecom. (10 November 2022). Value of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Alliance.
Weinberg, Neal. (24 May 2022). What is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and why do we need it? Network World.
The new wireless networking standard 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) delivers enhanced wireless technology in dense environments where it can more effectively overcome interference from cells on the same channel. An even newer version of Wi-Fi 6, dubbed “Wi-Fi 6 Extended” (Wi-Fi 6E), could deliver even better service.
As Jerry Jackson in PC Mag reports, Wi-Fi 6E provides faster speeds and lower latencies than Wi-Fi 6 and earlier versions. At the time of announcement, the IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standard “was limited by law to a wireless spectrum that only covered the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands”. These 2.4GHz bands have just three non-overlapping channels— meaning you, your household, and your neighbors, all share bandwidth.
Since multiple devices are competing for bandwidth, signals are often lost. However, after the Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to make the 6GHz band available for unlicensed use in April 2020, significantly more airwaves opened, which routers can use to broadcast Wi-Fi signals.
Hence, Wi-Fi 6E expands on Wi-Fi 6 to cover 6GHz frequency.
“The opening of the 6GHz band is the biggest spectrum addition to Wi-Fi since 1989,” writes Jackson. “The jump from 5GHz to 6GHz might not sound like much, but it essentially quadruples the amount of airwaves (14 additional 80MHz channels, and seven additional 160MHz channels) available for routers and smart devices. That means less signal interference.”
What Are the Technical Benefits of Wi-Fi 6?
Wi-Fi 6 is expected to bring a number of technical benefits that will “enable use cases beyond what is possible today,” states Tim Pohlmann, CEO of IP Analytics, an IP intelligence tool. According to Pohlmann, these benefits will include:
- Connected venues and cities: Wi-Fi 6 BSS Colouring technology will guarantee resistance to interference— even in public places with a high density of devices such as event venues and universities. With its larger bandwidth, Wi-Fi 6 can deliver consistent real-time data exchange while allowing thousands of people to connect.
- Connected cars: Wi-Fi 6 enables larger bandwidth that will let vehicles exchange real-time information. Furthermore, Wi-Fi 6’s target wake time (TWT) feature allows for lower battery consumption. This means Wi-Fi sensors in traffic lights or buildings will only “wake up” when needed.
- Connected factories: Wi-Fi 6 technologies OFDMA and MU-MIMO will support “more IoT devices to operate unimpeded on the network, and thus means that millions of machine components can be connected and real-time data points operated at low-power consumption.”
- Connected homes: Wi-Fi 6 enables 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz to operate at the same time, delivering high bandwidth and low latency for high-definition video systems, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) devices, high-quality streaming platforms used for, conference video calls and gaming.
“Wi-Fi 6 will likely become the dominant access choice for indoor networks on account of improvements in speed, latency and higher density of connected devices,” states Pohlmann. “It is also the ideal system in spaces where access points will serve more users.”
However, he notes that Wi-Fi 6 must exist alongside 5G to support “use cases at home, while driving, at the office, outside or when working remotely.” While many argue that Wi-Fi 6 and 5G will be competitors, Pohlmann believes that they will work in tandem and complement each other in many applications. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a sole technology would support all connectivity.
Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6 Extended are still developing. However, the ability to overcome service issues in high-density environments will undoubtedly spur advancement.
Improving Quality of Experience with IEEE Std 802.11ax™
The work on High Efficiency Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) in IEEE Std 802.11ax™ started in 2013 as a new amendment to the IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard. A goal of the new amendment is to address dense deployments characterized by a large number of access points and stations placed in close proximity in a limited geographical area. Such usage scenarios impact the quality of experience (QoE) for latency-sensitive applications such as voice-over-Wi-Fi™ and video conferencing.
Learn More About Wi-Fi 6
Enroll in our upcoming live two-course program, IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6), which will provide an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers, which lead to the improvements in Wi-Fi. Purchase this course program by 17 February for the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructors. Part One will take place on 21 Feb from 12-3pm ET, and Part Two will take place at the same time on the following day.
Plus, check out this on-demand virtual event from IEEE Educational Activities and IEEE Standards Association that describes new IEEE 802.11ax features such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access and Uplink multi-user transmissions together with Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) enhancements specific to IEEE 802.11ax to improve QoE. Watch now!
Resources
Jackson, Jerry. (7 October 2021). What Is Wi-Fi 6E? PC Mag.
Pohlmann, Tim. (2021). Who’s ahead in the WiFi 6 patent race. I am.
With the booming Internet of Things (IoT) device market, many people expect to be connected at all times. While it is unrealistic to be online 24/7 with no drops in coverage or speed—especially while travelling—losing connection can be a significant problem for organizations.
Businesses rely on devices and technology such as Wi-Fi and the cloud to remain connected to their data and customers. However, what happens when a business cannot connect? If employees are unable to even check their email inboxes, will productivity grind to a halt?
A possible solution that could help create a permanent connection for IoT devices involves sending data over sound. While this solution involves newer data-over-sound technology over the air, transmitting data via sound is an established practice. The characteristic whines and beeps of the dial-up modem was a form of data-over-sound using wires rather than over the air.
What is Data-Over-Sound?
Companies have been investing in new ways of transmitting data through their devices to ensure they are always securely connected. Sound waves would allow devices to interconnect without the use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The evolution of data-over-sound technology has the real possibility to create network-independent IoT environments with uninterrupted connectivity.
Who Offers Data-Over-Sound?
Organizations that are currently working on data-over-sound solutions include Sonarax and Stimshop. Sonarax, an ultrasonic communication technology company, revealed its new standard in machine-to machine (m2m) connectivity. It enables devices to communicate with one another via sound waves. The protocol is the most extensive global infrastructure install base, and it operates on any device that has a built-in speaker or microphone.
Sonarax’s solution addresses three main areas:
- Ultrasonic Payments: Helping create secure connections for mobile payments and contactless ATM interaction. Pilot programs for this feature have been deployed at major global financial institutions.
- Ultrasonic Authentication: Providing a safe identification solution that can be integrated and used by any third party application.
- Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning: Allowing indoor positioning in buildings, such as shopping malls and hospitals, where GPS stops working. Sonarax is working to implement its technology for novel indoor navigation functionality at a later date.
Stimshop, an agency in France, offers data-over-sound technology via its protocol Wi-Us. Stimshop’s Wi-Us technology can turn speakers or sound systems into a vehicle for wireless communication, detection, authentication, and geo-location. The company also states that its technology can be used in environments incompatible with radio waves such as explosive environments or those with electromagnetic scrambling issues.
Security Concerns
What are the security concerns when it comes to transferring data via sound? Experts worry that there are apps that can acquire the information sent through the sound waves.
However, Sonarax CEO Benny Saban states that over-the-sound verification between two devices restricts man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This type of attack involves hackers trying to interfere with the communication between two devices.
“As in all communication protocols, encrypted data is converted to ultrasonic data and reaches its destination–unchanged–through the same encrypted method by which it was sent,” says Saban. “Essentially, the ultrasonic communication protocol adds an additional layer of security to the first layer of encryption. This means that in order to hack the data, one needs to intercept the sonic data, decipher it, and then decipher the encryption used.”
Preparing for Evolving IoT Technology
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Resources
Chandler, Simon. (18 October 2019). How Data-Over-Sound Will Ensure A Permanently Connected IoT World. Forbes.
(27 February 2019). Sonarax Unveils a Novel Ultrasonic Device-to-device Communication Protocol. PR Newswire.
(10 January 2018). When Wi-Fi Won’t Work, Let Sound Carry Your Data. Wired.
Stimshop Mobile Interactions and Data Transfers. Stimshop.