IoT innovation has seen the growing adoption of Wi-Fi to support everything from factory robots to vending machines.

The higher throughput offered by Wi-Fi 6 demonstrates how this technology can be adapted to a range of use cases. In some cases, this makes Wi-Fi a more attractive connectivity option than cellular networks, as it brings the same wireless benefits but at a lower cost.

Wi-Fi 7 represents a significant change from Wi-Fi 6, which itself offered fast connectivity. The specification suggests that Wi-Fi 7 will deliver speeds of up to 46Gbps to a single client, which dwarfs Wi-Fi 6's already fast 9.6Gbps. However, the Wi-Fi 7 specification will not be finalised until 2024 and the technology is still under development.

Today, this leaves us with Wi-Fi 6 - which is not a bad thing, as the technology offers an excellent option for relatively low latency, speed, high device density and future upgrade paths for connected devices. In many ways, Wi-Fi 6 sets the stage for Wi-Fi 7 as it allows the market to recognise that Wi-Fi is an excellent choice for many deployment scenarios.

Wi-Fi 6 is sufficient to support innovative use cases such as automated guided vehicles, industrial robots and many other applications. In indoor locations such as stadiums, large arenas, offices and hotels, Wi-Fi 6 has attractive attributes. In addition, the technology is being used in the automotive industry to support manufacturers' applications for infotainment, monitoring, maintenance and upgrades, while increasing the personalisation of vehicle functions.

These advantages have led to the adoption of Wi-Fi 6 beginning to dominate deployments. IDC estimates that Wi-Fi 6 will account for 79% of all Wi-Fi product shipments over the next two years. The company expects Wi-Fi 6 device shipments to reach 2 billion in 2021, accounting for more than 50 percent of all Wi-Fi shipments. The firm expects to ship more than 3.5 billion Wi-Fi 6 products in 2022; nearly 20 percent of Wi-Fi 6 devices will be capable of supporting 6 GHz this year.

A comparison of Deloitte's 2021 study of advanced wireless adoption with the firm's 2020 study reveals the momentum behind Wi-Fi 6. The 2020 study found that network executives in the U.S. still see 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) and current or previous versions of Wi-Fi as the most critical wireless technologies for their business; most believe 5G and Wi-Fi 6 will arrive in the next few years. Attitudes are rapidly shifting, with global network decision makers now viewing 5G and Wi-Fi 6 as the most important wireless technologies in their business plans.

Deloitte found that Wi-Fi 6 adoption is well beyond the planning stage, with two-thirds of respondent organisations already piloting or deploying Wi-Fi 6 solutions, while 58% are doing the same for 5G. Enterprise applications are expected to be a significant part of the Wi-Fi 6 market, with analyst firm ABI Research predicting that Wi-Fi 6 enterprise access point shipments will increase from 4.3 million in 2021 to 13.4 million in 2026, a CAGR of 25 per cent.

Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, connected cars and the infotainment industry are all looking to take advantage of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. It is therefore important to evaluate both technologies in parallel and recognise that each has compelling features to bring to the enterprise. This means that both technologies will co-exist; each plays an important role in the future of wireless. And, unlike past generations of wireless technologies, this is not an either/or decision.

5G cellular and Wi-Fi 6 - and later Wi-Fi 7 and 6G - networks will be able to interoperate and be seen as complementary technologies in the wireless ecosystem. Deloitte's research found that organisations said they preferred Wi-Fi 6 for indoor, campus and fixed network situations, while they would move to 5G for outdoor, off-campus and mobile networks.

Parallel adoption of these technologies makes sense, with 45 per cent of survey respondents already deploying Wi-Fi 6 and 5G in their operations or conducting pilots/trials, and a further 35 per cent actively preparing to use both technologies. Almost all expect their organisations to use both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 within the next two to three years. projected investments reflect co-adoption, with Deloitte reporting that from 2021 to 2024, these organisations are expected to split their wireless spend between Wi-Fi (48%) and cellular technologies (52%).

In the automotive market, Quectel is seeing significant adoption of Wi-Fi 6 with access points designed to support gigabit in-vehicle hotspots and provide efficient Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the vehicle; supporting ultra-high definition (ultra-HD) video streaming on multiple displays, screen mirroring of compatible devices and wireless backup cameras.

Wi-Fi 6 also features full MIMO client functionality designed to extend range at high data rates to connect to external access points for automotive services such as vehicle diagnostics, software updates and automatic check-in when arriving at the dealership. In addition, the technology will provide improved connectivity and an enhanced in-vehicle experience. As vehicle connectivity continues to evolve from 4G to 5G, Wi-Fi 6 is integral to the development of connectivity as it allows for seamless connectivity between multiple devices in a crowded environment.

Even though Wi-Fi 7 is already at the forefront of development, Wi-Fi 6 is the next generation of Wi-Fi and as such will be around for a long time to keep pace with the development of the IoT industry. As IoT device deployments reach massive scale, more and more devices require high throughput, such as virtual reality devices. Other applications require low latency, such as industrial control, or low power consumption, such as those using battery power. Wi-Fi 6 is well placed to meet these needs and cope with the dramatically increased device density required in an era of billions of devices.

By using OFDMA, MU-MIMO, TWT, BSS colouring and spatial reuse technologies, Wi-Fi 6 products achieve significantly improved performance, addressing density and interference issues. When aligned with 5G, IoT organisations can adopt Wi-Fi 6 and access the most appropriate connectivity for their deployments, confident that each technology can co-exist and will support devices in the long term.

We are in the era of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 today, but this sets the scene and provides the sound basis and upgrade path for the future of 6G and Wi-Fi 7.