In the typical enterprise, there are a variety of applications required for use by various stakeholders; these different applications also demand different types of network technologies, from a speed and latency perspective, to function optimally. One of these technologies is WiFi - not only has it been growing in popularity, but also in terms of capabilities, and the next generation of wireless will open new opportunities for local businesses in the year ahead.

Much of this will come down to the introduction of the WiFi 7 standard, which the WiFi Alliance expects will be finalised and fully implemented before the end of the first quarter of 2024. Some WiFi equipment manufacturers are already selling WiFi 7-equipped routers and access points, while few user devices such as high-end smartphones with similar capabilities are already on the market and will be able to take full advantage of the standard.

While South Africa has often been as much as a year or two behind when it comes to the adoption of new WiFi standards, this can prove to be a blessing in disguise: because of the delay in the finalisation of the WiFi 7 standard, the country is in a position to leapfrog the current best standard, WiFi 6e. Here are some of the trends that we can see as WiFi 7 adoption picks up. Read on