Historically, application and system development has driven the expansion of network infrastructure, but that could soon be reversing, necessitating planning today.
A major change in the evolution of networks is the introduction of Wi-Fi 6 (and beyond) network protocols, which break the technological barriers of Wi-Fi 5 and previous Wi-Fi generations.
About Wi-Fi 6 It breaks down technology barriers by enabling corporate networks to handle simultaneous network traffic from many more servers and devices than ever before. Wi-Fi 6 also enhances network security. By enabling more secure, wider range, and faster communications across many devices and workstations operating simultaneously, Wi-Fi 6 fits perfectly into the evolution of enterprise applications. These new applications can be found in edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and robotic automation deployments, handling the large data payloads required for artificial intelligence and analytics, and supporting everyday workstation use and video streaming.
of Mobile App Market It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% through 2030. IoT Market It is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 24.3% by 2032. Edge Computing Market It is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13% by 2029.
As IT departments see these demands manifest in a surge in new applications and system demands from users, the urgent question for CIOs becomes, “Am I prepared for the sudden increase in application demands that Wi-Fi 6 will bring?”
Meeting growing application demands
In recent years, no-code, low-code, and user citizen development have all been approaches to ease the burden of application development on IT departments. However, the rise of areas such as mobile applications, IoT, edge computing, analytics, AI, and video streaming goes beyond what no-code and low-code can deliver. These areas require IT departments to have both application and network expertise, and can increase IT departments’ application workloads.
In many cases, IT will take on this workload directly, but it’s important to meet with users regularly to see what new applications they’re interested in and prioritize work based on corporate priorities.
In other cases, such as industrial automation systems in manufacturing plants, the option is to use a turnkey vendor solution where the vendor provides support for the system.
Businesses and their CIOs must carefully consider these choices: Do they risk vendor lock-in to a particular solution and postpone the need to develop new skills for IT? Or do they upskill their staff or hire from outside to ensure they have in-house expertise on these new applications?
A rational approach
What we know about Wi-Fi 6 is that it will require a complete replacement of almost all network devices currently in operation. Existing routers, connected storage boxes, smartphones, workstations, etc. will continue to operate on Wi-Fi 6 networks, but to do so they will have to fall back to the lower Wi-Fi 5 protocol for which they were manufactured and will not have access to Wi-Fi 6 features. Because only Wi-Fi 6 certified equipment can run Wi-Fi 6, most enterprises choose to take a phased approach to implementing Wi-Fi 6, given the associated costs. Implementing Wi-Fi 6 in stages will slow the development of new applications that can only provide optimal value when deployed with Wi-Fi 6.
For example:
A school district wants to implement Wi-Fi 6 because they see a huge benefit in teachers being able to use more live classroom video streams and other video materials in their teaching. Of course, everyone in the district wants Wi-Fi 6, but the cost of a network upgrade, including purchasing Wi-Fi 6 certified routers, storage boxes, workstations, smartphones, etc., is prohibitive. The district and its CIO decide to initially implement Wi-Fi 6 only for classroom teaching and postpone the rollout of Wi-Fi 6 to other areas of the district, such as administration. Over time, as funds and resources become available, the administrative staff will be migrated to Wi-Fi 6. This will stave off new application requests from the administrative staff, but could potentially be inundated with new requests from teachers.
Companies in other industries are adopting similar approaches, which gives IT departments the opportunity to control budget spending and upskill IT staff for the application development consequences of Wi-Fi 6 upgrades, while also helping them manage application demand workloads.
The introduction of Wi-Fi 6 into the network will drive application demand in new areas and CIOs need to plan for it. Many CIOs are taking a timed approach to Wi-Fi 6 implementation that allows for both budget control and expanding IT skill sets. Staff skill development in new areas of application development and investment in Wi-Fi 6 should be built into every IT roadmap.