New study: COVID-19 and the economic value of Wi-Fi®

Telecom Advisory Services paper concludes Wi-Fi mitigates negative impacts of global pandemic

Austin, Texas – December 9, 2020 – A new paper demonstrates the role of Wi-Fi® in mitigating the socioeconomic disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper, released today by Telecom Advisory Services, underscores various ways Wi-Fi is helping to improve economic resiliency and is contributing to critical use cases at a personal and enterprise level.

The findings demonstrate multiple areas where Wi-Fi is essential to maintaining digital resilience during the global pandemic. At the individual consumer level, Wi-Fi delivers essential connectivity that allows users to accomplish daily activities and carry out tasks that previously required physical contact – such as grocery shopping, buying essential goods, virtual learning, and telehealth appointments – all while supporting simultaneous access to these activities at once. At the enterprise level, Wi-Fi provides workers with virtual tools for telecommuting and digitization of supply chains and distribution channels to maintain productivity when face-to-face interactions with colleagues, customers, and suppliers must be avoided. Additionally, free public Wi-Fi networks deployed outdoors have provided essential connectivity for COVID-19 healthcare facilities, “Wi-Fi on wheels” for education, and coverage in rural or underserved areas.   

“The global pandemic further highlights Wi-Fi’s role as a critical component of every country’s digital infrastructure,” said Raul Katz, President, Telecom Advisory Services. “Wi-Fi networks are a significant contributor to national resilience in the face of COVID-19.”

The paper concludes that countries with highly developed digital infrastructure can reduce the long-term, negative economic impact implied by COVID-19 by more than half, and elaborates on three areas where Wi-Fi plays the most socially impactful role during natural disasters such as the global pandemic: distance learning, telecommuting, and elder care. The findings suggest that Wi-Fi’s role in critical use cases mitigates economic damage by keeping the economy up and running and allowing people and businesses to continue operating during the global pandemic. 

To access the full paper, please visit: https://www.wi-fi.org/file/covid-19-and-the-economic-value-of-wi-fi-2020

 

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 50,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.

Media Contact:
Stephanie Burke
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
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