Moving ahead on the wireless turf

Wireless and sensor-based technologies will drive the way technology is consumed and used at home and by small and medium businesses

Predicting future trends can be a tenuous business. However, if we look at the past few years, technology has come a long way. Communication from the old and slower mediums like the telephone and fax has now turned into a superhighway for information using satellites and fibre optics. Data moves with the speed of light and with the invention of faster communication standards, the business of volumes, and falling prices due to competition, Internet connections at home have become faster and cheaper than we could ever imagine.

The future belongs to the IoT and it will be prevalent in practically all aspects of our daily lives, making us more comfortable and secure.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of connected devices and the rate of data consumption has made wireless connectivity significantly common. This has propelled the development of Wi-Fi speakers with Artificial Intelligence integration and voice assistants, such as Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Audio.

As technology becomes more advanced, newer devices are needed to support the latest networks which can give wireless networking speed that is as good as connecting a physical LAN wire. Yes, we are speaking of speeds that are needed for laptops, TVs and smartphones. At the same one cannot forget the other IoT devices like smart speakers, smart fans, smart switches, and smart everything that needs to connect even though they sit in the background serving you silently. Many of the trends are likely to become mainstream in 2023.

True or Standalone 5G

5G has been around for several years now, but most of the services offered by consumer CSPs do not use a ‘pure’ form of this technology. Instead, they piggyback on existing 4G (LTE) infrastructure to provide their services. This means it’s not likely that users are using it to its full potential. The next step in the rollout of 5G will be the move to what is being called the Standalone 5G, also known as 5G SA. The market is rapidly developing to provide affordable 5G cellular network connections.

With Standalone 5G, all infrastructure including base stations, core networks and backhaul links are dedicated exclusively to 5G. It no longer relies on 4G in any way and delivers the full speed and latency benefits of 5G. Therefore, it brings in faster access, lower latency rates, edge computing and end-to-end network slicing. 5G SA also ensures the future readiness of a network, opening it to more opportunities and exploration.

IoT at the home

The future will belong to the Internet of Things (IoT) and it will be prevalent in practically all aspects of our daily lives, especially in our homes – making us more comfortable and secure. There are predictions that by 2025, there will be almost 30.9 billion active IoT connections for homes. And these forecasts are in the right direction. Our preferences for music, temperature, lights and as well as our times to go to bed are known to the smart IoT sensors.

Similarly, smart plugs, lights, and security systems function to make our lives easier. It gives us the freedom to not worry about home security because when we are not at home, security is regulated using a smartphone app. The sensors utilise the app to notify us of invaders, whether animal or human. No wonder then, IoT is going to occupy our homes because of its ease and the ability to take away the hassle and stress. For example, when house members leave the home at night during a storm, the IoT-enabled smart controllers in the network will ensure that all doors and windows and duly locked.

Skill development for SASE and wireless technologies will be a growing challenge for infrastructure and operations teams as these trends evolve.

IoT-powered smart homes are the future. Low-powered, long-range, and cost-effective IoT-powered devices will enable these homes to be more connected, complementary and conscious.

Rise of the SMB product range

With the advent of remote and hybrid work, products designed for small and medium businesses (SMBs) will gain momentum and will lead firms to innovate in this direction as well. Wireless value innovation creates a scalable return on wireless investment and makes networks a strategic innovation platform. However, there is significant complexity at play and several new skills are required to achieve this innovation, such as wireless integration capabilities and wireless tracking implementation experience. Skill development for SASE and wireless technologies will be a growing challenge for infrastructure and operations teams as these trends evolve.

Gateways, switches, access points and cloud-based management systems will be more visible in India as more and more firms opt to eliminate the cyber threat. Products developed for SMBs will not only retain but build their charm owing to their cost-effective nature and accessibility. They also enable scalability, fast deployment, simplified operations, and better security to ensure that only those authorised can access the network and data.

From small office deployment solutions to remote work solutions to devices for data and recovery, 2023 will be a year when SMB products will leverage the market and flourish in the real sense.

By Marthesh Nagendra

Nagendra is the Country Manager for India, ME, and SAARC of Netgear

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