Many people glance at the Wi-Fi bars on their smartphones to get a sense of network performance. However, “full bars” only means that the device is close enough to the router to hear its radio waves loudly. The connection can still crawl if the airwaves are crowded or there’s radio interference.

Users in most organizations access applications and data via their mobile devices. AI-powered apps are no exception, but the Wi-Fi network may be slowing them down.

A high-performance Wi-Fi network is the nervous system of modern AI, providing the essential infrastructure for data-intensive applications to function reliably.

Organizations that are experimenting with AI recognize the demands it places on the network. Users need lightning-fast connectivity to gain the full benefits of gen AI tools and AI agents. However, many Wi-Fi networks aren’t up to the task.

In the past, Wi-Fi networks were used primarily for email and Internet access.

Wireless networking is a critical feature of the modern workplace, with nearly half of all business Internet traffic now being carried on Wi-Fi networks. However, achieving and maintaining optimal performance is usually an ongoing challenge. As much as a third of the world’s Wi-Fi networks experience regular performance issues, according to one recent study.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of reliable wireless connectivity in a work-from-anywhere world. Organizations must support more wireless users, devices and applications than ever, and analysts say total Wi-Fi traffic is doubling every three years.

Nearly half of Americans say they couldn’t get through the day without Wi-Fi, according to a recent OnePoll survey. We suspect the other half just don’t fully comprehend how much they depend on the technology.

Pandemic lockdowns that forced most of us to work remotely led to remarkable changes in network traffic patterns.

A fast, reliable and secure Wi-Fi network is a business imperative, providing the connectivity necessary to support mobility, collaboration, IoT, edge computing and other important IT initiatives. It is such an entrenched technology that analysts say it now generates an annual global economic value approaching $5 trillion.

During a year of extreme uncertainty for most businesses, one thing became exceptionally certain — advanced wireless technology will be critical to operational agility, resilience and innovation for the foreseeable future.

When the pandemic forced much of the global workforce to become isolated, wireless communications enabled vital connectivity.

A fast, reliable and scalable Wi-Fi network is no longer merely a convenience — it is an operational imperative. It underpins some of today’s most important technology initiatives, ranging from remote work and the Internet of Things to edge computing and customer journey analytics.

When millions of Americans were forced to work from home this year, it created an enormous strain on home Wi-Fi networks. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi activity increased by 82 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels with record numbers of devices connecting and moving an unprecedented amount of data.