A Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) report says that the mission-critical nature and complexity of Wi-Fi networks means that rule-based management must give way to management by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
The report, entitled “AI/ML for Wi-Fi: Enabling Scalable, Intelligent Wi-Fi Ecosystems,” details reasons for replacing reactive troubleshooting with predictive, proactive and self-optimizing network operations.
The benefits of successfully evolving include lower operational costs, stronger reliability and security, and an improved end‑user experience, the WBA says.
The press release provide the main takeaways from the report:
- AI and ML are critical for enabling autonomous, self-optimizing Wi-Fi networks capable of managing dense deployments and real-time performance demands.
- AI/ML reduces operational costs, improves reliability and security and delivers a more consistent quality of experience.
- Proprietary approaches, inconsistent data quality, and closed interfaces slow innovation and increase integration costs.
- Interoperable frameworks — not algorithms — will be key to success. Interoperability must include data models, telemetry, APIs, and model lifecycle management.
- AI will not just sit at the router. It will combine client, access point, edge and cloud intelligence to achieve the best performance.
- Features of Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn), such dynamic bandwidth expansion (DBE) and multi-access point coordination (MAPC), will work optimally when driven by an AI/ML engine.
- Achieving continued success and new use cases with AI/ML in networks requires shared datasets, federated learning and strong governance model.
“Wi-Fi is now expected to perform like critical infrastructure across homes, enterprises and cities, yet operational complexity is rising fast. AI and machine learning are becoming essential to keep networks reliable, secure and efficient at scale,” WPA President and CEO Tiago Rodrigues said in the press release about the Wi-Fi report.
“The industry must align on common data, interfaces and governance, so that intelligent Wi-Fi can work across real-world multi-vendor environments and deliver value for all who use it.”
The worlds of Wi-Fi and 5G are coalescing. The WBA released its annual report last month. It included a survey finding that 60% of respondents believe the two networking approaches are keys to enterprise flexibility and will co-exist.
