Wi-Fi, 5G Converging as More Businesses Build Wireless LANs, Say Experts

February 11, 2021 by Howard Buskirk|5G

Most businesses already have wireless local area networks, but AT&T is now seeing “a wave of upgrades driven by new technologies,” said AT&T's Manish Malhotra at the Fierce Wireless Wi-Fi Summit Wednesday. Speakers said many businesses find they need to use a variety of technologies and the line between 5G and Wi-Fi is blurring. Edge computing is increasingly important, said Malhotra, AT&T assistant vice president-intelligent LAN product management. “The basic idea here is to bring computing power close to the IoT device.” Employees are more productive with seamless wireless connections, and routine tasks can be completed “without running back to a central wired terminal,” he said. Wi-Fi 6 and 5G offer high speeds, increased capacity and lower latency, and 5G will also be used for in-building LANs, he said. “The selection of a particular technology will depend on a variety of factors, such as the use case, size of the venue, availability of devices ... and physical layout,” he said. Wi-Fi, 5G and other technologies are converging, agreed Luke Lucas, T-Mobile senior manager-engineering business development. “All technology and all frequencies are good for the consumer” based on the “design and needs of the particular location,” he said. Customers need a “customized solution” but first need to figure out their goals, Lucas said: “We’re synthesizing all of this together.” Some businesses need private LTE, while others can rely on Wi-Fi or 5G, said Tiago Rodrigues, Wireless Broadband Alliance CEO. Integrating 5G with Wi-Fi can lead to faster deployments, he said. Carriers need to find other revenue streams to pay for their investments in 5G, said Tuncay Cil, chief strategy officer at Assia, a broadband solutions vendor. Someone needs to pay for the more than $81 billion bid in the C-band auction, he said. “If the service providers cannot make money, these services will not be delivered,” he said: “It’s not like the service providers are hoarding cash.”