ABI Research Anticipates More Than 20 Billion Cumulative Wi-Fi Chipset Shipments by 2021 While Increased Use of 5GHz Spectrum Raises Coexistence Issues with LTE-U

image
03 May 2016

ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, anticipates more than 20 billion Wi-Fi chipsets to ship between 2016 and 2021. This will occur as Wi-Fi solutions branch out into new usage scenarios, frequency bands, device types, and performance requirements. In addition, ABI Research expects more than 95% of devices shipped in 2021 to support 5GHz Wi-Fi, adding to the debate over spectrum sharing with cellular technologies.

“As Wi-Fi technologies begin operating in different bands, operators and OEMs will place greater emphasis on the mixture of efficiency, throughput, range, and power consumption enhancements that these solutions can offer,” says Andrew Zignani, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. “MU-MIMO, narrowband implementations, and other enabling technologies can help to ensure that Wi-Fi is able to operate in both the densest deployments and more power constrained IoT applications.”

802.11ax is one new Wi-Fi standard under development that seeks to build upon the 802.11ac standard while incorporating additional features in order to enhance wireless performance in dense deployment scenarios. ABI Research forecasts that 802.11ax will account for 57% of Wi-Fi chipsets by 2021. The increased pressure on the 5GHz spectrum, as both 802.11ac and 802.11ax continue the migration toward 5GHz Wi-Fi, will also be exacerbated by the arrival of LTE-U. This could potentially add to existing challenges and concerns over successful coexistence between the technologies going forward.

Emerging technologies, some of which break away from the traditional evolutionary path of 2.4 GHz and 5GHz, include HaLow, 802.11ad, 802.11ax, and 802.11ay.

802.11ad, more commonly known as WiGig, will remain a premium feature for some time. Yet, while its high cost may hinder adoption, companies such as Intel, Peraso, and Qualcomm that are focusing on 802.11ad should help drive the ecosystem forward. ABI Research data suggests that it will likely take until 2017 for real scale to build, though, as there still needs to be a strong push to get the technology in areas beyond the limited number of access points and routers currently supporting it.

HaLow will also see opportunities in the years’ ahead. However, it will take some time for this technology to gain widespread traction, as it still faces strong competition from other low-power wireless technologies and LPWAN technologies. For this reason, ABI Research predicts HaLow chipsets to only represent 1% of total shipped Wi-Fi chipsets by 2021.

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Wi-Fi Service, which includes research reports, market data, insights, and competitive assessments.

# # #

About ABI Research

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.

About ABI Research

ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.

ABI Research 是一家全球性的技术情报公司,拥有得天独厚的优势,充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁,通过提供独家研究和专业性指导,推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略,无缝连接这两大主体。

For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact ABI Research

Media Contacts

Americas: +1.516.624.2542
Europe: +44.(0).203.326.0142
Asia: +65 6950.5670

Related Service