Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 79 | Page 33

AFRICA
REGIONAL CHANNELS
AFRICA
Craig Blignaut , Product Manager for Wi-Fi , Vox

As the world navigates what can best be described as the most exhilarating burst of technology innovation in human history , Vox ran a test with Samsung ’ s latest device and Ruckus Networks to demonstrate the revolutionary power of Wi-Fi 7 , as it works to refine solutions to empower businesses with future-proofed networking capabilities .

While not mainstream yet , Wi-Fi 7 speeds surpass Wi-Fi 6 by a factor of three and Wi- Fi 5 by a factor of 10 . However , it is not the speed that is the most exciting , says Product Manager for Wi-Fi at Vox , Craig Blignaut .
For now it is not about the speed as there are a number of factors in South Africa – which will change in the coming months and years – that hold this factor back . The excitement comes from the cutting-edge technology , including multi-link operation and advanced error correction that enables seamless connectivity for a large number of devices .
“ The test enabled us to get a taste of the potential of the technology . Let us be clear , use cases will still emerge but Wi-Fi 7 will power bandwidth-intensive applications such as 8k streaming , virtual and augmented reality and online gaming . For businesses , it opens up the possibility of radically reduced latency and increased capacity which will revolutionise wireless networks .”
This is one of the main drivers behind the WiFi-7 test on the Samsung device , as Vox ’ s partnership with Ruckus Networks is designed to build products and solutions that will improve their customers ’ current connectivity .
This is to future-proof businesses to withstand the influx of Wi-Fi 7 devices and applications in the not-so-distant future , which will remove the need for further network upgrades down the line . In other words , the reliability and robustness of Ruckus Networks ’ infrastructure means Vox can effectively deliver tomorrow ’ s innovation to businesses today .
Ruckus Networks provides networking solutions , specifically wireless access points and related products . Their products are designed to provide reliable , high-performance , and secure wireless connectivity for various environments . Samsung ’ s Galaxy S24 is one of a few devices in the world that are already Wi-Fi 7 enabled , and by collaborating , the teams were able to uncover insights .
“ Bandwidth from a speed capacity is currently limited in South Africa for a number of reasons , but this will change , no doubt . But where the Wi-Fi industry is going is towards managing capacity better – in other words , shared bandwidth infrastructure and improved reliability . Automation cannot afford any drop in connectivity it needs excellent throughput . There is reduced interference and this is
Wi-Fi 7 will power bandwidthintensive applications such as 8k streaming , virtual and augmented reality and online gaming .
very important when we consider the new frequency bands that have been released ,” explains Blignaut .
Elaborating more on their test , Blignaut explains that outside of the speed consideration , latency drops from today ’ s general discussion of 1ms to a latency of 0.1ms , on top of an ability to maintain consistency . •

VOX TESTS WI-FI 7 IN SOUTH AFRICA USING SAMSUNG DEVICE AND RUCKUS NETWORKS

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