Will 5G Mark the end for WiFi? We don’t think so, and here’s why:
Speed
Tech is moving at an astounding rate. Dialup networking is already long gone, with us iconic sounds relegated to samples on George Michael albums. ISDN and ADSL roamed the domestic plains for years in the late 90s and early naughties. But then came WiFi.
Now let’s be realistic. If WiFi ran at 9600 Baud, like back in the 90’s, then it would certainly be under threat. But quite the contrary. WiFi currently his 50 million bits per second. If we’re comparing to the 90s that’s 4 and a half 3.5″ disks a second. (Remember how long it took to load Windows for workgroups?!)
At 100 times the speed of 4G, the new 5G trounces WiFi for speed. Still, while excited parents in trampoline parks can post videos of their kids using the venue WiFi, especially with limited 5G coverage, there’s little need for the awesome speed it offers.
Benefits
Connecting to a venue WiFi delivers clear benefits such as taking advantage of special offers and promotions. Provided the venue makes those benefits clear, customers will happily join the network and trade data for offers.
Conclusion
Everything has it’s place, as will 5G. Hardware advancements such as 8K cameras are going to need better networks, while WiFi will deliver on the promise of goodies and freebies for loyal customers, as well as provide better coverage in those hidden cocktail clubs under the streets of London. If anything, the threat is not with WiFi but with the technology that it’s directly replacing which, in this case is 4G as it did previously with 3G.