Today’s WiFi Installers Must be Familiar with Emerging Technologies
Before wireless networking standards were introduced in 1997, cables provided connectivity. Now, WiFi installers have almost eliminated the need for cabling. However, in practice, wireless communication in the form of semaphore flags, mirrors, and smoke signals was used to transfer information long before the invention of long-distance telegraph and telephone systems, with their total dependence on wired connections.
Interestingly, the name of the wireless connection protocol that has revolutionised modern communications is often mistakenly assumed to be a contraction of “Wireless Fidelity”. In practice, the term “WiFi” was adopted for marketing purposes, partly because it was similar to HiFi but mainly because it was far more memorable than its official designation of IEEE 802.11, a set of standards defining communications over a wireless local area network and providing a data transfer speed of just two megabits per second (Mbps). The move sparked the development of compatible routers, eventually enabling home use in 1991.
Early WiFi installations employed electromagnetic waves at frequencies of 2,4 and 5 Ghz, officially designated 802.11b and 802.11a, respectively. The latter was faster but more expensive. However, wireless technology has continued to advance steadily and now offers speeds measured in gigabytes (one billion bytes) per second, improved signal quality, and an almost unlimited range of potential applications, especially for users in the business sector.
How WiFi Installers Have Helped Improve Business Operations
Fast, reliable communications have seldom been more crucial to businesses than during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdown and precautionary isolation left many companies without staff and unable to continue operating, forcing some into liquidation. By contrast, businesses with reliable WiFi installations were generally better positioned to weather the storm. The following are just a few examples of how this technology worked for them:
- Working from Home: Many businesses remained operational throughout the pandemic, while some even showed positive growth by supporting remote working for homebound employees via their broadband connections.
- New Ventures: One person’s problem is frequently another’s opportunity, and lockdown certainly provided ample proof of this adage. With the help of CAD/CAM data downloaded from the internet, some opportunistic entrepreneurs employed 3D printers to create masks, respirators, and other items of personal protective equipment. Some have since graduated from their startup status to become established businesses dedicated to additive manufacturing of various products in high demand.
- The Videoconference: Face-to-face communication is often essential in business. Even when not hampered by lockdown, travel costs can be prohibitive when chatting with overseas clients or colleagues. By contrast, videoconferencing was cheap and allowed business executives to exchange ideas backed up by visual data via their computers.
The Need for Experienced WiFi Installers Persists
The first two decades of the 21st century have seen vast advances in the application of computers and networking technology, confirming a continuing need for technical specialists with a sound knowledge of local and wide-area wireless networks and their many uses. These include all the previous applications plus some invaluable new options. For example:
- Cloud Computing: Most people are acutely aware of a burgeoning world population fast approaching nine billion. However, far fewer realise the impact of this growth on the volume of data which companies must now process and store. WiFi installations offer a means to upload data to a network of remote servers, collectively known as the cloud.
- The Internet of Things (IoT): In industry and, to some extent, in the home, there is a developing need for communication between machines. The benefits are manifold, especially in manufacturing, but leveraging this novel technology requires the help of knowledgeable and experienced WiFi installers and additional technical support.
Leading WiFi installers in South Africa
At CCI Technologies, we specialise in WiFi installations and networked applications via offices in Cape Town and Gauteng and representatives in Durban, Bloemfontein, and PE. If you’re keen to optimise your company’s WiFi use, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
