Three reasons to build a converged Wi-Fi and IoT network

In the near future, collaboration between humans and robots will become the norm for digital enterprises of all sizes. According to the 10 major technology trends predicted in Huawei's Global Industrial Outlook 2025 report, by 2025, the manufacturing industry will have an average of 103 robots for every 10,000 employees.

The sweeping digitalization trend extends far beyond manufacturing as other verticals deploy wireless technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve competitiveness. In the automotive industry, for example, in-vehicle software is updated via Wi-Fi, while the energy and construction industries use IoT to enable predictive operations and maintenance (O&M). Elsewhere, telehealth is becoming more common in the healthcare industry, and cities and the public sector are incorporating more technology into asset management systems.

In fact, investments in IoT and wireless technologies are creating opportunities for enterprises to create breakthrough business models, improve user experience, and increase operational efficiency. As detailed in Forrester's 2019 IoT Heat Map for Operational Excellence, more than 70% of enterprises have already implemented or plan to implement IoT solutions and applications. It is worth noting that such a significantly high and growing adoption rate is mainly driven by the growing demand from the service department, rather than from the IT department.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for IoT. Solutions must be customized for individual businesses, as the bandwidth, reliability, transmission distance, and power consumption requirements of IoT terminals vary according to production needs. However, the abundance of IoT protocols for various aspects makes finding the best solution a daunting task for any business.

IoT protocols are roughly divided into two types according to transmission distance: low-power wide area network (LPWA) and low-power wireless personal area network (LoWPAN). LPWA is suitable for long-distance wide area network (WAN) coverage, while LoWPAN performs better in medium- and short-distance indoor coverage scenarios. In addition, typical LoWPAN protocols include Bluetooth for precise location (with meter-level accuracy), ZigBee for low-power mesh networks, power-hungry Wi-Fi technology for providing large transmission bandwidth, and low-power radio frequency identification (RFID).

The transmission distances of these protocols are on different layers, ranging from 10 cm to 200 meters. Most LoWPAN protocols comply with IEEE802.15.4, which means they can be applied to IoT networks connected to the same gateway. However, the widespread deployment mode of these IoT networks may lead to unnecessary reconstruction of IoT networks, thus complicating network construction and management. Therefore, enterprises will definitely benefit from an open network architecture that is compatible with multiple independent IoT networks.

The deployment and management of Wi-Fi and IoT convergence is an important component of creating an open and well-performing network architecture. Deploying multiple LoWPAN protocols on a single unified enterprise Wi-Fi network provides:

• Reduce network construction costs: Built-in or external IoT modules on access points (APs) enable Wi-Fi and IoT networks to share network infrastructure, including sites and backhaul lines. This effectively reduces hardware investment, reduces hardware installation time, and reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) by 50%.
• Reduced network management costs: Wi-Fi and IoT converged management platforms provide intelligent analytics to optimize network planning. For example, wireless technologies with similar frequency bands are selected to minimize interference. When interference does occur, it can be detected automatically. This new approach is significantly superior to traditional networks, where multiple isolated management platforms can only detect and correct interference after service is affected, and administrators must go through a painstaking process that requires collecting information, manual analysis, and troubleshooting on each platform.
• Expand business opportunities: With the customer's consent and approval, terminal data (such as location and status) will be integrated and sent to the service platform. This approach improves the accuracy of customer profiles and customer behavior analysis, enabling companies to provide personalized services.

In recent years, due to the pressure of e-commerce, traditional physical shopping malls and supermarkets have stepped up their efforts to transition to the new retail sector. For example, a large European supermarket chain has taken the initiative to modernize by optimizing the shopping experience of its facilities while improving operational efficiency. These initiatives for customers and employees include new shopping guides and marketing campaigns, office services through Wi-Fi, and the adoption of RFID-based electronic shelf labels (ESL).

By using ESL, the supermarket chain's operational capabilities have been expanded, enabling remote price updates and electronic shelf management in batches. To this end, the supermarket chain deployed Huawei AirEngineAP with built-in RFID modules and a unified network management platform, achieving aggregated access and simplified management of multiple terminals. As a result, it is estimated that each chain store in Germany that adopts this technology can save up to $37,000 in price update costs per year, including labor costs. With this success, the supermarket plans to adopt this technology in more than 10,000 stores worldwide.

However, such benefits are not limited to the new retail industry. Huawei also provides leading Wi-Fi and IoT converged networks to a wide range of industries including smart buildings, logistics, and education, driving innovation in professional digital services.