Wi‑Fi 7, AI & 6 GHz drive surge in investment plans

Most telecoms and enterprise respondents say they are more confident about investing in Wi‑Fi than a year ago, with planned roll-outs of Wi‑Fi 7, use of 6 GHz spectrum and AI-based network management shaping spending plans into 2026, according to new research from the Wireless Broadband Alliance.

The alliance’s latest industry survey found that 62% of participants feel more confident about investing in Wi‑Fi than 12 months earlier. A further 18% said their confidence level was unchanged.

Wi‑Fi 7 emerged as the most likely new technology deployment in 2026. Some 38% of respondents said they plan to deploy the standard in 2025 or 2026. The findings indicate that many operators and enterprises now regard the transition beyond Wi‑Fi 6 and 6E as near term rather than long term.

AI and cognitive networking followed close behind in deployment plans. Around 32% of respondents said they intend to deploy AI or cognitive networks. These technologies are expected to change how Wi‑Fi networks are monitored and controlled. They are also expected to affect performance and reliability.

Respondents pointed to smart home devices and automation as the largest single source of expected network and traffic growth. Smart Home IoT led the list at 36%. AI-related workloads ranked second at 33%. Industrial and manufacturing applications, including industrial IoT, accounted for 24%.

Stadiums and event venues stood out as the sector where respondents expect the greatest traffic growth. Some 41% of those surveyed identified this segment as the highest growth vertical. The result reflects rising volumes of video, digital ticketing and in-venue services that rely on dense Wi‑Fi coverage.

The survey also highlighted growing confidence in OpenRoaming. The alliance promotes the framework as a way for users to move between public, private and carrier Wi‑Fi networks without manual logins. Respondents linked this trend with interest in Wi‑Fi 7, use of the 6 GHz band and work on security, quality of service and Wi‑Fi and 5G convergence.

The research suggests that many organisations now expect Wi‑Fi and 5G to develop in tandem. Six in ten respondents said combining the two technologies would give their organisation greater enterprise flexibility. The same proportion expect Wi‑Fi and 5G to co‑exist rather than compete as a binary choice in enterprise networks.

This view supports strategies that integrate private cellular with Wi‑Fi in offices, campuses and industrial sites. It also aligns with investment in seamless authentication and roaming between different access types.

OpenRoaming appears to be entering broader deployment. Some 38% of respondents said they had already deployed an OpenRoaming or Passpoint compliant network. A further 32% plan deployments in 2026, and 18% in 2027.

Respondents cited frictionless Wi‑Fi access as the main investment driver for OpenRoaming and Passpoint. Around 63% pointed to the enablement of frictionless Wi‑Fi as the top reason. Another 60% highlighted seamless access between Wi‑Fi and 5G or LTE. Some 40% pointed to seamless access across different networks. All three responses focused on simplifying network access for users.

Survey participants placed security and privacy at the centre of their current Wi‑Fi strategies. Some 76% identified network security and privacy as the most important aspect of Wi‑Fi for their business today.

End user experience also ranked highly. Quality of Experience and Quality of Service, and seamless authentication to Wi‑Fi, both received 70% of responses as the current most important aspects. The results suggest that organisations now link Wi‑Fi investments closely with perceived service quality and ease of access for staff, customers and citizens.

Respondents also ranked the most important new or improved features in Wi‑Fi 6E and Wi‑Fi 7. Multi‑Link Operation was the top feature at 46%. This response underlines industry interest in handling latency, resilience and spectrum efficiency in dense environments.

OFDMA uplink and downlink ranked joint second at 33%, alongside mandatory WPA3 compliance at the same level. Multi‑User MIMO uplink followed at 32%. The ranking points to a focus on improved spectrum use and stronger security in next‑generation Wi‑Fi deployments.

Availability of the 6 GHz band featured as a central factor in future Wi‑Fi plans. Some 65% of respondents described 6 GHz availability as important or critical to the future of their Wi‑Fi business and roll‑out strategies.

City‑wide public Wi‑Fi is already in place for 33% of relevant respondents. A further 39% plan deployments in 2026 or 2027. Organisations most often view public Wi‑Fi as a base for city services. Around 70% said public Wi‑Fi underpins city services. Some 65% cited seamless, affordable and secure internet access for users. Another 49% identified mobile traffic offload for carriers.

The alliance said that some city governments are already linking these projects with OpenRoaming. It gave the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as one example.

The survey gathered input from 185 participants across regions and sectors. Respondents worked across roles that ranged from the C‑suite and business strategy to research and development and product management.

“This year’s WBA Industry Report survey makes it clear that the Wi‑Fi community has moved to building the next generation of converged connectivity and the momentum is strong: Wi‑Fi 7 and AI-driven networks, which can cut costs, while improving the operational efficiency, performance and reliability of networks, are at the top of deployment plans. 6 GHz is viewed as critical spectrum, and almost half of respondents are already deploying or planning OpenRoaming networks. Respondent’s priorities of security, privacy, Quality of Experience and seamless roaming between Wi‑Fi and 5G are exactly where the WBA is focused through our programs of work. In a world where connectivity is business continuity, these findings show that Wi‑Fi has become essential infrastructure for enterprises, operators and cities alike,” said Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO, Wireless Broadband Alliance.