Article Forecasts Unlicensed Wi-Fi 6's Partnership with 5G Wireless

Amidst the fast rollout of 5G networks, it is all too easy to overlook the growth of Wi-Fi 6 and its role in supporting next-generation broadband network services. On December 1, Deloitte published an article titled "Wi-Fi 6: Unsung, underexposed—and indispensable to the future of enterprise connectivity." The Deloitte article offers the important insight that "5G may get the lion's share of the publicity, but Wi-Fi 6 devices are quietly outselling 5G devices by a large margin and will likely continue to do so for the next few years at least." Additionally: "Deloitte Global predicts that more Wi-Fi 6 devices will ship in 2022 than 5G devices, to the tune of at least 2.5 billion Wi-Fi 6 devices versus roughly 1.5 billion 5G devices." The article goes on to explain that "Wi-Fi 6 and 5G are designed to work together smoothly, and the wireless industry appears headed toward a future in which devices can roam securely and seamlessly between all types of wireless networks." As the article shows, Wi-Fi 6 will play a crucial role in the future of wireless services. 

Free State Foundation Senior Fellow Andrew Long provided an overview of the potential functional and economic benefits of next-gen Wi-Fi in his February 2020 Perspectives from FSF Scholars, "Wi-Fi 6E Can Modernize Unlicensed Wireless." The FCC's 2020 orders to repurpose spectrum in the 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz bands for unlicensed flexible use -- including Wi-Fi -- will help realize those benefits.