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
The statements and opinions by each Wi-Fi Alliance member and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Wi-Fi Alliance or any other member. Wi-Fi Alliance is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information provided by any member in posting to or commenting on this blog. Concerns should be directed to info@wi-fi.org.
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