5G, WiFi 6 Set to Battle for Control of Enterprise Private Networks

WiFi dominates connectivity in the enterprise, but mobile network operators are trying to present an alternative and will it into greater prominence with benefits that WiFi can’t match. Private, cellular-based networks will eventually tap into many of the technology leaps featured in 5G, including network slicing and dynamic spectrum sharing, but WiFi 6 — the next evolution in WiFi — is also on pace for widespread adoption in enterprises. “With WiFi 6 and 5G what’s happening is that cellular is becoming closer to WiFi and WiFi closer to cellular in the sense that WiFi becomes a technology that allows you much more flexibility and power in managing the resources available. And with 5G you have the higher capacity that you typically have with WiFi,” said Monica Paolini, founder and analyst at Senza Fili.