Can you imagine a world without Wi-Fi? It’s not easy. Wireless internet has become as essential to our daily lives as electricity or gas. It’s no longer a convenience. It stopped being an elective the instant it became a requirement for our work, our education, our connection, and our entertainment.
Evolution
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) has come a long way, evolving into an integral technology that empowers and unites us in countless ways. It is the reason you can video chat, have tele-health appointments with your doctor, and have seamless integration of all your apps across all devices. This is the convenience that has raised Wi-Fi to the status of a household utility.
Life Without Wi-Fi
Imagine a day in a life without Wi-Fi. No checking emails or social media, or virtual meetings, or streaming your favorite shows. Even something as simple as checking your bank statements, depositing checks, paying bills and transferring funds between accounts has been revolutionized by the use of wireless internet. Wi-Fi has been woven into the fabric of our lives, connecting us instantaneously to every other person on the globe.
We use Wi-Fi as a gateway to entertainment. It delivers high-definition content to our speakers and screens. It’s our bridge to productivity at work, guaranteeing that work-from-home employees can collaborate effectively from their home-office. It’s our lifeline in education. It connects a world of online resources, e-learning platforms and an almost limitless fount of information with students everywhere. And it is the backbone of the smart home, for everything from voice activated assistants and security systems to smart thermostats and yes… even smart pools. The use cases for Wi-Fi are almost limitless.
Wireless and Remote
The increase of work-from-home personnel has been one of the most significant shifts in our culture in recent years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the current work-from- home population as around 20%. Critical to the success of this shift has been the implementation of Wi-Fi. Being able to work from anywhere has changed the game. The ability to ensure a greater work-life balance and flexibility wouldn’t be possible without the technological pioneering of the Wi-Fi industry.
Education’s Instant Companion
The transformation of education and the classroom has been nothing short of ground-breaking. Now, children are no longer “left behind” if they have chronic illnesses or other attendance issues. Additionally, families don’t need to purchase newly updated sets of encyclopedias anymore. Previous generations experienced a scarcity of access that meant that great lengths of time and effort had to be spent into finding data. Instant access to information creates a space for students to able to apply and understand new information, not just find and memorize it.
Smart Cities: Empowering Infrastructure
5G cellular combined with Wi-Fi is the cornerstone of all Smart City planning. From transportation systems to environmental sustainability, wireless connectivity is key. The scalable applications for Wi-Fi in a Smart City are boundless. Can you imagine emergency Vehicles, Traffic Lights, and Civilian Vehicles communicating in real time to relieve congestion, prevent accidents, and facilitate quicker emergency responses?
Accessibility Necessitates Wi-Fi
Importantly, with the proliferation of wireless internet, there is another demographic with greatly increased access: the disabled. The Department of Labor tells us that 83.1 percent of workers with disabilities who use the internet at work remained employed. Newly unlocked avenues of employment, education, access to information and communication affect millions. Home automation and smart assistant devices can be a game-changer for those who have impaired mobility. There are Wi-Fi based navigation apps, voice command locks and thermostats, apps to help those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Without the use of Wi-Fi, these members of our society lack access to some of the basic aspects of life.
From luxury to utility, the transformation of Wi-Fi has been monumental. It has become the lifeblood of today’s world. It is allowing us to connect, work, learn, and overcome hurdles that were previously thought impossible. Chances are, you are reading this through the power of Wi-Fi. We must innovate, adapt, and prioritize accessibility to wireless internet, not just for ourselves but for humanity.
How are you showing up in this space? Do your tenants or customers have reliable and secure access to Wi-Fi?