Why do we continue to invest in WiFi with the coming of 5G?
When it comes to Wi-Fi vs 5G, despite some overlap in how we use them, it is not an either/or situation - both technologies will be used widely for many years.
4G and 5G excel at on-the-go usage, applications where you are mobile and need access. In urban and suburban areas current 4G coverage is limited indoors, and 5G really degrades inside to the point of being unusable. In urban areas 4G and 5G systems can be congested or overloaded and in more rural areas coverage can be very spotty if it is available.
WiFi is designed for use in a fixed area and can scale to handle lots of users and provide large amounts of bandwidth for applications including streaming video, remote work and education.
Customers and guests are more likely to remain on-premise when they can use their devices, whether they are browsing social media or working or learning remotely. If they struggle to connect via 4G or 5G cellular and have no WiFi option available, they may leave to find better connectivity elsewhere.
WiFi offers additional benefits for businesses, providing opportunities get in front of guests with splash pages, captive portals, collecting opt-in marketing information and connectivity to property management.
For the differing use case scenarios that WiFi and Cellular support and the added benefits businesses continue to invest in WiFi.