The Internet Super Highway Powering Enterprise

Ever wondered why at times office internet behaves like traffic on Waiyaki way- fast and quick before peak traffic hours and annoyingly slow after peak hours?

Wonder no more. The answer lies on the reliance of a single point of access which makes your internet connectivity something akin to a one lane road. The chaos that tend to follow even on a double lane road are simply painful.

However, technological advances are now coming to your rescue. But again, that will depend on how fast your systems administrator adopts new technology including Wi-Fi 6 which is a world of opportunities.

How so? Well, for businesses running on Wi-Fi 6, the answer may have a lot to do with the design and capacity of your office internet access points.

An Internet access point is a device that allows Wi-Fi capable devices ( phone, laptop, security cameras) to connect to the internet without using wires or cables. They make for much neater office space as well as better use of internet resources especially at work when everyone is logged in to the same network at the same time.

Enterprises running on Wi-Fi 6 and seeking to expand internet accessibility should consider upgrading to 4 stream Multiple User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) wireless access points. Pardon this use of techie jargon but suffice it to say that MU MIMO allows multiple wireless devices to connect to the internet at the same time.

The best way to visualize the maximum rate of data transfer (bandwidth) is the width of a road. A single User MIMO is similar to Thika Highway in 2008, a single carriage way with one lane for each direction. A single User MIMO services allows multiple devices to communicate with a Wi Fi router, one at a time. This often causes delays and buffering when many devices are connected to the same Wi Fi network.

A 4 Stream Multiple User MIMO is like the current Thika Super Highway, an 8-lane controlled access highway with up to 12 lanes in some sections allowing more cars to use the same road with less congestion due to multiple lanes. Multiple User MIMO enables more efficient sharing of internet resources, increasing speed and reducing lag and delays as more devices connect to the same network.

Multiple User MIMO also takes advantage of a technique called beam forming used to ensure the Wi Fi connection remains strong. This is similar to using a torch to light your path at night, the light is focused in one direction enabling you to see much better when compared to using a lantern whose light spreads in many directions. A torch is however more expensive than a lantern.

In the past, services such as web browsing, email, cloud desktop, and 1080p video streaming dominated network traffic in wireless networks, with a per-user bandwidth of only 4 to 10 Megabytes per second on average. However, with the emergence and popularization of new technologies and services — such as streaming media advertisements, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), 4K High Definition (HD) video, and intelligent office systems — the per-user bandwidth requirement has increased sharply – up to ten times. This tenfold increase demands an upgrade from single user to multiple user inter access points.

Multiple User internet access points come in different brands and variations. Businesses need to consider the number of connected devices on their premises, uses of internet, future capacity and cost when choosing internet access points. In the midst of the current digital evolution and increase in connected devices, the 4 stream Multiple User MIMO is the best bet when building a service-oriented network with good user experience.  Huawei is the best partner for enterprises to build networks.