The Beacon Blog

Our connected world has conditioned us to an “always-on” lifestyle, with smartphones, tablets and laptops that buzz and ring requiring our immediate attention. We know that the connected traveler of today has come to expect Wi-Fi® connectivity on the go, and recent research illustrates that point more clearly than ever.

In today’s world, people have more wireless devices - and those devices require more bandwidth - than ever before. As wireless needs increase, core Wi-Fi® technologies have continued to advance to keep pace with increasing user demands and to improve the overall mobility experience.

With 2015 now here (what, already?), it’s time for the annual Top-10 lists to hit the airwaves. And what could be more interesting or important than a look at what’s really going to matter in Wi-Fi® over the next year? Sure, many already take Wi-Fi for granted as a mature fixture in networking, and that’s actually a good thing.

2014 was a monumental year for Wi-Fi – the wireless technology celebrated 15 years, carried more than 42 percent of the world’s mob

At the launch of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ ac program, we looked at the mobile revolution, its role in changing Wi-Fi® adoption, and the future.

One thing worth celebrating this month—in the high-tech industry, that is—is the one-year anniversary of  Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ ac, the latest generation of Wi-Fi®, based on the 802.11ac standard.

With products based on the 802.11ac standard now appearing in great numbers in the marketplace, the debate over when to deploy this exciting advance in Wi-Fi® capabilities is also well underway. Note that I say when here – it’s not a question of if, but rather how to schedule 802.11ac rollouts.

In 2007, Apple’s first iPhone hit the shelf. That same year, the fourth generation of Wi-Fi® technology—802.11n—was introduced as a wireless technology to meet the demand for medium-resolution video such as those found on the then two-year old startup YouTube.

This post originally ran on the Aerohive blog where Matthew Gast has his own author blog.

This post originally ran in February 2013 on the Aerohive blog where Matthew Gast has his own author blog.