As companies and organizations right across the world adapt to their digital futures, creating an infrastructure that has a significantly longer lifespan at a relatively low cost is a significant hurdle. A significant area of change and one with which many are struggling to contend is in Wi-Fi connectivity. Perhaps only five years ago, workplaces and domestic settings did not contain many wireless devices – maybe a few smartphones and laptops.

But as we enter 2020, we see massive growth in the number of wireless devices, all of which need to connect to access points. Devices range from smartphones, tablets, and laptops operating under companies’ BYOD policies, and are joined by new generations of IoT and IIoT devices. The latter, in particular, are bringing about new, smarter working spaces, homes running automation systems, and entire city blocks run by companies and local governments as part of “smart city” initiatives.

At public events in particular, where Wi-Fi connectivity plays a central role in proceedings, event organizers struggle to maintain blanket coverage with required speeds and bandwidths. But at the 2018 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Grand Prix, held from 14 to 16 September, it was to Huawei that Singapore GP Pte Ltd (SGP) turned to ensure that all on-site comms were at race speeds.

With a backbone consisting of a wired network supported by smart switching technology, and adapting to the Singapore street circuit‘s many challenges (buildings & structures potentially interrupting coverage, for example), Huawei designed & supplied an entire Wi-Fi network. This allowed race fans internet access, the press pit the connectivity they needed, and the race teams full technical support for the three-day duration.

The entire installation involved both indoor and outdoor sections, and the key was to minimize radio interference and maximize capacity. The complex topology was mapped, and the network’s details planned using Huawei’s Wireless Local Area Network Planner.

From those especially-created blueprints, high-density APs’ (Access Points) locations could be mapped out, and a Wi-Fi solution created that used two spatial streams, a dual provision which ensured continuous wireless access for mobiles and smart terminals.

Into the future of Wi-Fi

Huawei’s hardware and expertise are being utilized across the world, and the company is already creating the network infrastructure for new 5G and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities – technologies that are creating significant value for many.

The company’s focus on operational or business-centric solutions is only possible because of the Huawei team’s broad expertise across the enterprise, in many verticals. It provides insight, software, hardware, networking, consultation, and guidance for many organizations that are looking to set themselves apart from their competitors with a future-proof stance.

For one company with over 500 pharmaceutical outlets across the Philippines, Southstar Drug, Huawei were able to advise and equip its client with a next-generation Wi-Fi 6 network that lowered the TCO (total cost of ownership) of the company’s entire network and deployed a solution in less time than a “traditional” network that would have relied heavily on wiring and manual network routing points.

Conclusions

Whether it’s a practical and hardy multi-venue Wi-Fi plan, installation, and support for a high-profile event like a Formula 1 race, or a new-generation Wi-Fi network based on the very latest in technology, Huawei has the skill and product portfolios to be genuinely class-leading.

The take-home from these stories is one of business solutions that solved the problems of creating frameworks that are fast, safe, and significantly future-proof. While its competitors will struggle to help clients modernize their networks as the numbers of connected devices rise, Huawei customers can be more productive and focus on assigned tasks, regardless of their location.

To learn more about how your business, too, can benefit from the Huawei “touch,” and to get more information about the safer, faster, and more agile networks that Huawei offers, get in touch with a representative today.