In today's episode, we welcome James Chen, VP of Product and Technology at MediaTek, back to the podcast to talk about all things AI. We discuss the difference between traditional AI and generative AI, and learn more about Wi-Fi's pivotal role in both technologies. James shares his insights on the emerging generative AI landscape and how it supports communication, entertainment, and even smartphone functionality that assists users with visual and hearing impairments. James also tells us about Wi-Fi 7's future impact on AI in industrial settings, and how it will shape manufacturing efficiency, supply chain, and more. Listen to this episode to learn more about the fascinating world of AI, and James' predictions for the next 12 months.

Wi-Fi 7 brings advanced Wi-Fi® performance to the next era of connected devices. In this new blog series, we’ll explore how Wi-Fi 7 enables innovation across various market segments. 

Wi-Fi® in 6 GHz is transforming healthcare in ways that will help reduce the current burden on clinical staff. Healthcare systems are experiencing staff shortages and looking for ways to improve efficiency while still providing best-in-class patient care. 6 GHz Wi-Fi, which includes Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, provides increased bandwidth, capacity, and improved network efficiency to support a new era of healthcare by facilitating seamless transmission of large medical data files, enabling real-time patient monitoring and diagnostics, and delivering crucial telemedicine to users in remote locations. With the technology advancements available today, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 enabled medical devices used by clinical staff will help enhance patient care outcomes and operational efficiency in healthcare environments. 

Key features and benefits of 6 GHz Wi-Fi in healthcare  

Wi-Fi 6E and its use of 6 GHz spectrum offers significant performance improvements, and this is especially true of Wi-Fi enabled medical devices. More channels are available thanks to the additional spectrum capacity of contiguous blocks in 6 GHz, meaning wireless networks operating in the band benefit from reduced congestion, which is vital for applications that demand high data throughputs. Furthermore, healthcare facilities with access to 6 GHz spectrum will have the option to segment channels by device type, allocating separate channels for medical devices, smartphones with patient alerts, and guest traffic as well, resulting in reduced congestion on any given channel and higher performance for the devices operating within it. 

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is a key feature of Wi-Fi 6 that enhances the efficiency and performance of wireless communication by dividing the available frequency spectrum into smaller subcarriers and allocating them to multiple users simultaneously. The available spectrum is further divided into resource units (RUs), each consisting of one or more subcarriers. RUs can be dynamically allocated to different users based on their traffic requirements, channel conditions, and quality of service (QoS) needs. The access points (APs) can then dynamically allocate RUs to users based on their traffic demands and channel conditions, significantly improving the efficiency, capacity, and performance of wireless networks – especially necessary for the complex demands of a health system. 

Wi-Fi 7 also benefits from 6 GHz spectrum, and one of its new features will significantly impact the healthcare sector. Multi-link Operation (MLO) allows medical devices to establish and maintain multiple concurrent links with the same or different APs or devices. When a medical device utilizes MLO, it can redundantly send critical patient data on multiple channels separated by frequency band (i.e., one in the 2.4 GHz channel and one in the 6 GHz channel). This allows the receiving device two opportunities to successfully receive data sent over Wi-Fi, resulting in a more reliable connectivity experience for medical devices if one AP becomes impaired (e.g., heavily loaded with clients) or during the roaming process.  

Challenges and considerations of 6 GHz Wi-Fi in medical settings 

With the introduction of Wi-Fi in 6 GHz, health systems will have to contend with a new set of challenges. Although there have been marked improvements made over the past year, 6 GHz spectrum is not yet globally harmonized for Wi-Fi use. Each region deploying 6 GHz APs will need to make sure the devices connecting to the health system’s Wi-Fi network infrastructure support the full channel set for that region. If a device operates on a 6 GHz Wi-Fi channel list that is a subset of what the healthcare Wi-Fi infrastructure supports, the device may have difficulty connecting in some areas.  

Also, health systems must comply with HIPAA and other cybersecurity standards to protect patient data. Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E introduced mandatory support for highly secure WPA3, so healthcare IT departments will need to carefully deploy Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E capable networks if support for legacy medical devices still utilizing lower security methods (e.g., WPA2) is clinically necessary within a health system. 

6 GHz lays the foundation for the future of patient care 

Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 technology advancements are here today. Increasing bandwidth, capacity, and efficiency will drive reliability improvements critical to healthcare applications, including patient monitors streaming low bandwidth, low latency physiologic patient data in a remote location, and imaging devices sending high resolution images for on-the-spot diagnoses. These improvements will result in increased confidence in Wi-Fi enabled medical devices with clinical staff (i.e., Wi-Fi just works) and improved clinical workflow efficiency through greater access to physiological data. In today’s environment where clinical staff are understaffed and overworked, these Wi-Fi enhancements couldn’t come at a better time. The future is bright for Wi-Fi in the healthcare setting. 

Wi-Fi® has become indispensable to our daily lives, enabling seamless connectivity and access to a wide array of applications. As the demand for real-time services that require high data throughputs and minimal latency like augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR) and high-definition video streaming continues to grow, it is crucial that there are mechanisms in place to enable a high-quality user experience. Quality of Service (QoS) plays an invaluable role in prioritizing and managing network traffic to deliver optimal performance, and Wi-Fi is poised to meet users’ increasing demands for unerring connectivity.  

The early days of Wi-Fi and the need for QoS 

Early iterations of Wi-Fi operated on a “best effort” basis, treating all traffic equally without differentiating based on priorities. While this approach ensured fairness in accessing wireless connectivity, it proved inadequate for applications requiring real-time data transmission with time-bounded latency, such as audio and video streaming. As these applications became increasingly common, the need for QoS mechanisms in Wi-Fi became apparent.

The figure shows network throughput versus network load, with two curves representing different congestion regions. The left side indicates no congestion, while the right side shows congested conditions, resulting in decreased throughput and increased latency, affecting QoS. 

QoS mechanisms in 802.11 

Recognizing the limitations of the early Wi-Fi standards, the IEEE Working Group 802.11 introduced the 802.11e amendment in 2005, which marked a significant milestone in the evolution of QoS in Wi-Fi. This amendment introduced features that prioritized and managed different types of traffic more efficiently, including Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), which categorizes traffic into Access Categories to allow critical data like voice and video to be prioritized over other types of traffic, and HCF Controlled Channel Access (HCCA), a polled access mechanism where a central scheduler decides when devices can access the channel to ensure guaranteed QoS for high-priority services. For example, EDCA allows a video stream to be prioritized over web browsing traffic, while HCCA can ensure that a voice call receives a guaranteed time slot for transmission, minimizing latency and jitter. 

Following the 802.11e amendment, subsequent standards like 802.11n and 802.11ac focused primarily on enhancing throughput. While not directly targeting QoS, these enhancements indirectly benefited QoS by increasing network resources and reducing congestion. Features like Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), frame aggregation, wider channel bandwidths, and higher-order modulation schemes improved network efficiency and performance. 

The 802.11aa amendment, released in 2012, further refined QoS mechanisms, particularly for audio and video streaming applications. It introduced features like Stream Classification Service (SCS) and Overlapping Basic Service Sets (OBSS) management mechanisms to support better video streaming in complex network environments. OBSS (Overlapping Basic Service Sets) management is vital to QoS because it helps reduce interference between overlapping networks, ensuring more reliable and higher-quality video streaming in complex network environments. 

The latest Wi-Fi standards, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) and 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), introduce features like Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA), Multi-link Operation (MLO), and higher-order modulation schemes. While not directly targeting QoS, these enhancements provide new mechanisms to improve network efficiency and reduce latency, laying the groundwork for future QoS innovations. 

The list of features that have been introduced in 802.11 addressing QoS: 

QoS considerations for the future  

As Wi-Fi continues to evolve and become more widely adopted, networks are becoming increasingly congested and complex with an influx of diverse devices that have varying traffic requirements. These factors necessitate a re-evaluation of current QoS approaches as ensuring timely data delivery for critical applications becomes more challenging, particularly in the presence of OBSS.  

While current QoS mechanisms work with contention-based protocols like DCF (Distributed Coordination Function), they may struggle to guarantee timely data delivery in highly congested scenarios. As the number of Wi-Fi devices grows, it may be necessary to consider more centralized scheduling approaches, such as a revamped Hybrid Coordinator (HC) that can allocate resources based on application priorities. Balancing throughput and reliable packet delivery will be key to handling future innovations and meeting evolving user needs. 

Conclusion 

The evolution of QoS in Wi-Fi has been driven by the growing demand for seamless, high-quality user experiences across a wide range of applications. As emerging technologies continue to push the boundaries of wireless networks, robust QoS mechanisms will be crucial to ensuring that the next generation of Wi-Fi can handle future innovations seamlessly. 

By efficiently utilizing the wireless spectrum and guaranteeing the timely and reliable delivery of packets, even in congested environments, Wi-Fi can continue to provide a superior and consistent user experience. As Wi-Fi Alliance and The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) work together to define new standards and programs, QoS will undoubtedly remain a key focus in shaping the future of wireless connectivity. 

In today's episode, we're joined by Shaila Bansal, Product Manager at Qualcomm, to talk all about how Wi-Fi® serves the evolving XR landscape. Shaila tells us how XR boosts productivity in global enterprises, from augmented reality glasses to productivity applications like the infinite desktop. We discuss how VR enables immersive learning in the classroom, and how AR can improve safety features in automotive environments. Shaila talks about how Wi-Fi 7 unlocks these emerging XR applications, and we learn how its new capabilities like superwide channels and Multi-link Operation increase reliability and reduce latency. Listen to this episode to learn more, including Shaila's predictions for XR and AI in 2024.

XR: https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/xr
For Wi-Fi Alliance: https://www.wi-fi.org
For Membership Info: https://www.wi-fi.org/membership
General Contact: https://www.wi-fi.org/contact-us

The first choice for connectivity

Wi-Fi® is celebrating its 25th year, and the technology remains the preferred choice for wireless connectivity a quarter century later. 4.1 billion Wi-Fi devices are forecast to ship in 2024,[1] contributing to 45.9 billion cumulative Wi-Fi shipments over the technology’s lifetime.[2] This year will also see 21.1 billion Wi-Fi devices in use[3] across multiple environments, such as smart locks and thermostats at home, cloud computing and rich telepresence in enterprise, and factory monitoring in industrial settings. 

Many countries have made 6 GHz unlicensed spectrum available for Wi-Fi, and users around the world are benefitting from the performance enhancements of this valuable band. Wi-Fi in 6 GHz, designated as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, offers multigigabit data rates, deterministic latency, and increased reliability to support the stringent connectivity needs of today’s applications. And with the release of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™ in January 2024, Wi-Fi 7 momentum continues as the new standard gains traction, providing the foundational connectivity for augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR), ultra high definition video streaming, Industrial IoT, and more. These advanced applications depend on the capabilities of 6 GHz Wi-Fi, and 6 GHz device shipments are on the rise with 807.5 million predicted for 2024,[4] up 66% from 2023. 

Some additional data includes:

• Wi-Fi 6E’s market momentum continues to climb with 576.2 million Wi-Fi 6E devices expected to ship in 2024[5]
• 147.2 million Wi-Fi 6E access points (APs) will ship in 2024, and 23.12 million Wi-Fi 7 APs are expected to ship this year as well[6]
• 231.4 million Wi-Fi 7 device shipments are expected in 2024, with Wi-Fi 7 device shipments accounting for 5.7% of Wi-Fi device shipments this year[7]

 Wi-Fi shipments per year since the technology’s inception[8] 

Wi-Fi device shipments by generation from 2017 – 2028[9]

Wi-Fi across market segments

The increasing user demand for reliable connectivity is not slowing down, and Wi-Fi will continue to support complex use cases across automotive, IoT, and XR in 2024 and beyond. Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices (including Wi-Fi 6E) will maintain their stronghold on IoT this year with over 47 million shipments. XR is expected to see more than 24 million Wi-Fi 6 devices shipped, and automotive is forecast to see more than 21 million Wi-Fi 6 devices shipped in 2024.[10] 

As we celebrate 25 years of Wi-Fi, we look forward to the technology’s continued impact as it provides connectivity for the advanced use cases that are quickly becoming mainstays. 6 GHz Wi-Fi — in tandem with innovations in XR, automotive, and IoT — will continue to fuel Wi-Fi’s success for years to come.

[1] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, November 2023

[2] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, March 2023

[3] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, March 2023

[4] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, November 2023

[5] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, November 2023

[6] IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, March 2023

[7] IDC Research, November 2023

[8] IDC Research, 2023

[9] IDC Research, December 2023

[10] ABI Research, MD-WCMT-194, QTR 1 2024