Wi-Fi® device shipments to surpass 15 billion by end of 2016

Wi-Fi to enable versatile connectivity well into the future

Las Vegas, NV, January 5, 2016 – Wi-Fi Alliance® announced today that Wi-Fi® shipments have reached 12 billion units, and are expected to surpass 15 billion units by the end of 2016. With an installed base of more than 6.8 billion devices, Wi-Fi has become one of the most prolific technologies around the world. To support Wi-Fi’s widespread adoption, the Wi-Fi Alliance 2016 technology roadmap includes programs that will increase Wi-Fi performance and network capacity, and will provide unique capabilities to meet diverse connectivity demands across a variety of applications and markets.

“The Wi-Fi industry’s growth has been closely paralleled by the growth of Wi-Fi Alliance certification programs,” said research director Phil Solis, ABI Research. “With more than 12 billion Wi-Fi products shipped to date, another 3 billion expected in 2016, and shipments of dual-band devices operating in 2.4 and 5 GHz increasing year-after-year, Wi-Fi momentum shows no signs of slowing down.”

Wi-Fi Alliance 2016 Technology Roadmap

  • Higher performing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ ac: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac will soon get a boost with a set of new features, which provide increased performance and capacity in Wi-Fi networks. By the end of 2019, households worldwide will have more than 10 billion devices capable of connecting to a home router. The second wave of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac features, such as wider channels and Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), will deliver a better experience not only at home, but also in enterprise and service provider networks. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac is expected to be the highest shipping version of Wi-Fi to date.
  • Multi-gigabit, in-room connectivity with WiGig CERTIFIED™: WiGig CERTIFIED will soon complement Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac by bringing multi-gigabit performance to in-room connectivity. The WiGig® market is expected to see significant growth in 2016, and WiGig will enable scenarios such as streaming multiple, simultaneous ultra-high definition or 4K videos. Tri-band devices supporting 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 60 GHz will offer the best of Wi-Fi and WiGig to meet the needs of a growing number of demanding use cases.
  • Wi-Fi location is coming soon: Over the last decade, Wi-Fi product capabilities have expanded to include screen mirroring, seamless hotspot authentication, and proximity awareness. A Wi-Fi location program will soon enable a new breed of innovative applications based on location information. Devices supporting Wi-Fi location will determine their precise location both indoors and outdoors when within the coverage area of a location-enabled network. Wi-Fi location capabilities will offer numerous benefits for consumers, retailers, enterprises, and service providers.

“The foundation for Wi-Fi’s success is a set of core technologies which constantly evolve to meet market connectivity demands,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi technologies keep getting better, and increased network capacity, higher performance, and enhanced capabilities will enable Wi-Fi to continue to meet the needs of existing and emerging markets, and continue to deliver the best possible user experience.”

In addition to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac and WiGig CERTIFIED, the recently announced Wi-Fi HaLow™ will enhance Wi-Fi’s portfolio of core connectivity solutions and extend Wi-Fi’s reach further into the Smart Home, connected car, Smart City, and industrial environments. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 25,000 products and has numerous Wi-Fi enhancements underway that will further proliferate Wi-Fi CERTIFIED technologies around the world. Wi-Fi advancements to both core technologies as well as technology capabilities will soon enable carriers to deliver a better user experience in managed networks or environments with a high density of active devices.

 

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a common vision of connecting everyone and everything, everywhere. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 25,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. 

Media contacts:
Elliott Suthers
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
+1-415-963-4174 ext. 6