Huawei’s Wi-Fi 6 innovations power new enterprise networks

Wi-Fi 6 provides ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-high concurrency, and ultra-low latency, which are set to make a difference in a hyperconnected future.

With Wi-Fi 6 now entering the mainstream, many enterprises have either started deploying the latest wireless technology or at least been keenly studying how it can benefit their users.

The latest Wi-Fi standard is nearing completion and equipment deployed today enjoy the latest benefits of the technology while being ready for future compliance.

Most importantly, the new technology brings with it improvements that will impact a wide variety of scenarios, including a wireless office, a retail outlet, a school, and an airport, for example.

Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax, brings a four-fold increase in both network bandwidth and user concurrency over the older Wi-Fi 5. Latency is also lower than over Wi-Fi 5, with quicker responses of less than 10ms now possible with Huawei's equipment that utilise the new technology.

In a nutshell, the ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-high concurrency, and ultra-low latency are all set to make a difference in a hyperconnected future.

The wireless technology will be connecting campuses filled with thousands of IoT devices, linking up users of augmented and virtual reality headsets and hooking up autonomous, decision-making robots with zero packet loss and 100% stability.

For enterprises, one key task is getting ready for the intelligent transformation era that Wi-Fi 6 will help usher in. Set for widespread adoption, the technology is already being pioneered by a number of users today that are keen to lead the way into the future.

Early users show the way

One of them, Xiamen University Malaysia, used Huawei's Wi-Fi 6 solution to connect up a campus that included offices spaces, smart classrooms, multimedia rooms, laboratories, student dormitories, concerns and sports venues.

As part of a full Huawei network stack, the setup included agile controllers that supported fixed and mobile networks on campus, ensuring good consistency of business experience, and enabling Internet access anytime, anywhere.

For the wireless links, the AirEngine Wi-Fi 6 offering combined Wi-Fi from Huawei's 5G Wi-Fi 6 with a full-scene Wi-Fi solution, while enabling innovations based on smart antennas, three radio frequencies and distributed Wi-Fi. This way, users could enjoy high-quality free Wi-Fi access in both terminal-intensive electronic classrooms and crowded concert halls.

Huawei's Campus Insight solution also provided students with the ultimate Wi-Fi experience. Efficient operations through AI innovations such as AI fault mode analysis, prediction, and proactive prevention, enabled simpler maintenance of the networks.

Operations and maintenance are key

Another Huawei customer is The Parq in Bangkok, a mixed-use development launched by TCC Group, one of Thailand's most prominent conglomerates. Set to open in 2020, the property will launch Huawei's Wi-Fi 6 solution as part of its infocomm infrastructure aimed at delivering digital consumer experiences.

Besides providing high-speed access, the Wi-Fi 6 solution will provide excellent coverage for both indoor and outdoor areas, ranging from car parks to retail shops.

Yet another Huawei customer to adopt Wi-Fi 6 is Southstar Drug, which carries a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products in more than 500 stores in the Philippines.

Instead of sticking with wired access in the past, Southstar Drug is using Huawei's Wi-Fi 6 access points to operate its business and access resources remotely. This has boosted productivity for staff, who can now focus on their work, regardless of their location.

Crucial to each customer's decision to choose Huawei over competitors in the market is the solutions and devices that Huawei has ready to be deployed. The new equipment bring tangible, practical benefits that include improved operations and maintenance.

In an independent Tolly report, Huawei's Wi-Fi 6 technology, which uses its SmartRadio technology, enables lossless roaming that have zero packet loss. This was achieved while increasing AGV transport capacity by over 30%.

Smart Antenna, another Huawei innovation, has also made a difference in the field. The system rate reaches up to 3.8Gbps, a performance that is the highest in the industry, according to the Tolly report.

Yet another breakthrough is Huawei's CampusInsight, which provides artificial intelligence-powered operations and maintenance (O&M) that detect user experiences in real time and allow IT teams to respond to any network issues proactively.

This way, O&M shifts from complaint-triggered responses to predictive maintenance. So, 85% of campusnetwork issues are detected and handled in advance, and the MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) is reduced from four hours to 10 minutes, according to Huawei's findings.

For many customers, what may be just as important as technology solutions is the leadership that Huawei has displayed in the development of the Wi-Fi 6 technology itself.

Huawei's SmartRadio is derived from network slicing and intelligent radio calibration algorithms used in 5G, where Huawei is a clear leader in. In Wi-Fi 6, Huawei expert is also the chair of the IEEE Wi-Fi 6 task group, contributing 15% of proposals, the most among vendors.

Backed by both technology leadership and innovative solutions, Huawei is set to deliver impactful change for customers seeking a path into the future with Wi-Fi 6.