The Wireless Global Congress Americas (#WGCAmericas) event in Dallas brought together industry leaders such as Cisco, Boingo, Intel and more top experts shaping the wireless industry standards and technology. The key themes of the event focused on Wi-Fi customer experience, Wi-Fi 7 technology and enabling new Wi-Fi business cases with Open Roaming, Wi-Fi HaLow, decentralized connectivity solutions and AI.
The overarching message was clear: it’s not just about building the latest WiFi and Cellular technology networks but rather about understanding and supporting the customer’s applications and tailoring solutions to their needs.
1. Wi-Fi Customer Experience
The customer experience in Wi-Fi connectivity was a central theme at the WGC Americas event. Several sessions highlighted the importance of delivering seamless, reliable and user-centric Wi-Fi solutions to enhance the overall experience for consumers and communities. Panel discussion highlights included:
- Managed Home Wi-Fi: Keys to Successful Integration | Dr. Sarper Gokturk from Airties didn’t just share the “what” of managed home Wi-Fi systems but delved into the “why” and “how.” He emphasized the importance of reliable and user-friendly home Wi-Fi solutions that cater to the increasing demands of connected devices to ensure optimal performance and user satisfaction.
- The Future of Wi-Fi Customer Experience (CX) | Jenni Dettman and Russ Keveryn from RouteThis shared their vision of the future of Wi-Fi customer experience, highlighting the Quality of Installation (QoI) on Quality of Service (QoS). They also offered tips on how to support the rising demand for self-support and self-installation of Wi-Fi devices by customers.
- Connecting Communities in Cities and Municipalities | Andy Penley from Boldyn Networks, James Allison from Capitol Corridor JPL and Reza Jafari from eDevelopment International provided real transportation case studies from California, New York City and Rome demonstrating the strategies and technologies used to create seamless and accessible Wi-Fi networks in public spaces.
- Last Mile Connectivity Solutions | Vince Aragona from Neo Network Development really shook up the room in his discussion on how crucial it is for us to ensure that all community members in both urban and rural areas have affordable access to reliable internet like any utility service. “Communication costs shouldn’t be higher than all utility costs combined for a household.”
2. Wi-Fi 7 Applications and Performance
Wi-Fi 7 emerged as a significant theme with discussions focusing on its applications, performance enhancements and the new business opportunities it presents. Although we just launched Wi-Fi 6 a couple of years ago, it was barely mentioned at the conference except to compare it to Wi-Fi 7. Discussion highlights included:
- Wi-Fi 7 and AI in PC Connectivity Innovation | Eric McLaughlin from Intel, Kevin Robinson from Wi-Fi Alliance and Robert Stacey from IEEE discussed the determinism of Wi-Fi 7 to transform industries such as healthcare, education, and smart cities by providing more reliable location data and faster connectivity solutions since it connects at up to five times the standard Wi-Fi 6 data rate.
- Wireless Vectors to the Future: Trends in Next-Generation Convergence | Matt MacPherson from Cisco shared insights on the future trends in wireless technology and convergence. During his presentation, he explained the need for determinism of Wi-Fi 7 due to the launch of AI and virtual reality devices, as well as the advancements in network infrastructure, spectrum management and the convergence of different wireless technologies.
3. New Wi-Fi Business Cases with Open Roaming, Wi-Fi HaLow, Decentralized Connectivity Solutions and AI
Enhancing user experience in accessing Wi-Fi through open roaming was another critical theme at the event, highlighting the benefits of seamless connectivity in public spaces and alternate Wi-Fi technology solutions such as Wi-Fi HaLow, decentralized connectivity solutions and AI. Discussion highlights included:
- Simplifying Citizen Access with OpenRoaming | Betty Cockrell from Single Digits shared how OpenRoaming is designed to simplify citizen access to Wi-Fi. OpenRoaming enables seamless and secure Wi-Fi access, allowing users to move between different networks without the need for manual login processes. This technology enhances the user experience by providing uninterrupted connectivity in public spaces such as airports, shopping centers and urban areas.
- Enabling New Business Cases with Wi-Fi HaLow | A panel discussed the new business cases enabled by Wi-Fi HaLow. Paul Lai from AsiaRF, Zac Freeman from Newracom and Prakash Guda from Morse Micro shared how the low-frequency of Wi-Fi HaLow provides long-range capabilities for its applications in IoT and other emerging technologies.
- Decentralized Connectivity Solutions | Carlos Lei from Uplink presented on decentralized connectivity solutions, highlighting their potential to provide more resilient and scalable networks, especially for remote areas.
- AI in Wi-Fi Connectivity | Just as in any conference nowadays, AI was a recurring theme, with multiple sessions discussing how AI can enhance network performance and user experience. AI-driven solutions can optimize network management, predict and mitigate issues, and provide personalized services to users. By leveraging AI, service providers can deliver more efficient and reliable Wi-Fi networks.
Final Thoughts
The Wireless Global Congress America Event in Dallas showcased a diverse range of themes centered around the future of wireless technology. From enhancing the Wi-Fi customer experience to exploring the potential of Wi-Fi 7, open roaming, and new business cases, the event highlighted the transformative trends and innovations driving the industry forward. These discussions emphasized the critical role of innovation, collaboration and forward-thinking strategies in shaping the future of wireless connectivity.
###
JSA participates in industry conferences all over the world – to see where we are going next, follow us on JSA’s LinkedIn page.
