Trends in Enterprise-class Wireless LAN
Explosive Growth and Real Innovation

Now, we are on the cusp of the next wave of Wi-Fi technology. A handful of vendors have already announced Wi-Fi 7 APs which will make use of the 6 GHz band. Nearly all the major vendors are expected to begin selling Wi-Fi 7 APs next year. 802.11be involves a higher-order modulation scheme, the ability to operate on multiple links simultaneously (MLO), and other innovations designed to boost speeds, lower latency, and improve power efficiency. However, the killer feature for some enterprises will be access to a pristine, new 6 GHz spectrum. We can thank Wi-Fi 6E for having laid the ecosystem groundwork.

2.       Campus network backbones get fatter.

Five years ago, over 90% of WLAN APs shipped were interconnected to the LAN with a 1 Gbps port. In five years, we expect that to drop below 40%. The Wi-Fi 7 APs being announced so far all have at least one 10 Gbps port to connect to the enterprise LAN. We expect that the mid-to-low-range APs to be announced next year will have 5 Gbps or 2.5 Gbps connections. 

More bandwidth is required to support all of that videoconferencing traffic, but there are also other factors putting LAN connectivity under stress. The plethora of IoT devices has driven up the number of connections and has increased demand for switch ports supporting Power over Ethernet.

These shifts will incite IT leaders to reconsider their campus switch architecture and cabling infrastructure. Transmissions at 10 Gbps require CAT6A cables and are subject to distance limitations. Some of the Wi-Fi 7 APs have optical connectors as well, and enterprises may consider laying fiber cables in new buildings or high-traffic areas.

3.       AI learns network management.

We are in the midst of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) revolution. IT leaders are under pressure to demonstrate how AI will propel their business forward –and a mere chatbot won’t suffice. Leaders may find the AI revolution they seek in the form of AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT operations) that promises to relieve the burden of enterprise network management–a burden that has grown with the proliferation of Wi-Fi.

AIOps management applications collect and analyze billions of data points, both from end clients and the network equipment.  Then, advanced analytics and machine learning (ML) algorithms are used to create a baseline image of user behavior and network performance. 

Most of the major brands of enterprise-class WLAN equipment on the market tout AI-driven management, and businesses that have installed these systems are providing compelling feedback. One organization we spoke with told us they had reduced their trouble tickets by over 90%.

The most desirable AIOps features will depend on the specific vertical and configuration of the enterprise, but here are a few that stand to benefit organizations the most:

• With a detailed knowledge of user patterns, AIOps applications can intelligently and dynamically adjust alarm thresholds. Without the benefit of AI, many alarms raised are unnecessary, drowning out real problems. For instance, a false alarm may be raised at noon every day when a large batch of phones disconnect from the network – only because employees are leaving to grab lunch.

• Network problems can be automatically detected. For example, if a cleaning crew accidentally disconnects the AP in a conference room, the IT team can be alerted that the radio propagation patterns have changed, even before Wi-Fi users try and connect. We have heard from enterprises that installed AIOps for their Wi-Fi APs and discovered existing configuration problems in connected application platforms that had been affecting end-user performance for years.

• AIOps can go as far as suggesting solutions to problems that were detected, prompting the network operator to implement the fix.  Large Language Models can also summarize technical documentation, making it easier to understand issues and modify network configurations.