The findings, published by the WBA as part of the WBA Annual Industry Report 2022They highlight how the 6GHz spectrum will allow Wi-Fi to support even more users and new use cases, such as time-sensitive networks (TSNs) for Industry 4.0 applications. 58% of respondents say that 6GHz is critical or very important to their strategy. This outlook reflects the rapid growth in both global harmonization and device selection

- 41 countries, representing 54% of global GDP, have authorized the use of 6GHz

- More than 338 million Wi-Fi 6E devices will enter the market this year

- Nearly 20% of all Wi-Fi 6 device orders will be 6GHz compatible in 2022

The new report includes updates on various technologies, modifications, and initiatives, such as the convergence of 5G and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). Also known as Extremely High Throughput (EHT), Wi-Fi 7 is expected to support throughput of up to 30 Gbps, about three times faster than Wi-Fi 6. The WBA expects Wi-Fi 7 devices to debut on the market in 2025.

The report also quantifies the global momentum of WBA OpenRoaming™, which allows users to automatically and securely connect to millions of Wi-Fi networks worldwide without logins, registrations, or passwords. Respondents said roaming is the second most important Wi-Fi capability for business success, especially in smart city environments.

- 40% of respondents have implemented Passpoint/OpenRoaming, such as Adventist Health hospital campuses in the US, or plan to do so before the end of 2022

- 70% of respondents who participate in, or plan to participate in, a citywide public Wi-Fi network will support citywide roaming, joining several municipalities across Europe that have implemented it

OpenRoaming version 2 was announced in June and defines important new features, including support for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) through a quality of service level that guarantees a "silver-tier" high-definition streaming experience on OpenRoaming networks. The Silver-tier service is now available in 95% of the OpenRoaming ecosystem.

Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the WBA, comments: "Service providers, equipment manufacturers and companies around the world see more value in Wi-Fi than ever before.".

"Despite all the uncertainty due to the pandemic, 56% of respondents said they were more confident in investing in Wi-Fi than a year ago. This confidence is also reflected in the number of WBA members participating in various projects—a 15% increase compared to 2020—and in the record 20 projects under development or already underway. One example is their strong interest in the convergence of 5G and Wi-Fi 6, including how mobile operators can leverage Wi-Fi as part of their 5G strategy in terms of maximizing coverage and capacity."