As is traditional we're ending the year with a look to the future (minus the Slade accompaniment) with articles that outline the path ahead for Wi-Fi and connectivity. First, Kalam Meah at TP-Link considers how businesses can embrace the next stage of connectivity with Wi-Fi 7. "While Wi-Fi 6 was created to handle the growth of connected devices, Wi-Fi 7 delivers astounding speeds for these devices with more power and efficiency, achieving data rates of up to 46 Gbps - 4.8 times faster than Wi-Fi 6," writes Kalam. "This new technology will be pivotal in supporting the rollout of evolving technologies, such as AR, VR and the IoT, across healthcare, education and hospitality."

Keeping with the wireless theme, we also have The Wireless Broadband Alliance's predictions for the future of Wi-Fi in 2024 and beyond. This follows the recent publication of the organisation's Annual Industry Report 2024, which found that Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 top the list of wireless technologies that network operators, ISPs, device and chipset vendors and enterprises plan to deploy by the end of 2024. Ranging from 5G to IoT and the rise of the Network as a Service, the WBA's top 10 predictions give us an idea of the way ahead for all things wireless.

IoT connectivy is also the subject of a new opinion piece by SEH Technology's Alan Hayward this month, which focuses on the role that USB can play in its evolution. "In an increasingly IoT-focused world, USB devices can provide a standardised and simplified way for IoT devices to connect and communicate with each other," according to Alan. "Their interfaces can be customised to better support and manage IoT networks, regardless of the competency of users. Looking ahead to the future of the industry, USB devices may evolve to support enhanced edge computing capabilities, allowing IoT devices to offload processing tasks to connected USB devices." There's life in the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus yet it seems.

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