The Network Infrastructure Landscape: Insights from Jean-Christophe Budin

Jean-Christophe Budin, VP of Product at Weblib, offers a forward-looking perspective on the emerging trends that will shape network infrastructure in the coming years. As digital transformation accelerates, understanding these trends is essential for businesses aiming to optimize connectivity and performance.

Backhaul vs Local Distribution

Before delving into future technologies, it’s crucial to grasp a fundamental distinction: backhaul vs. local distribution.

• Backhaul refers to the systems that deliver internet connectivity to a location. This includes various technologies like fiber optics, microwave links, fixed 4G/5G connections, and satellite solutions like Starlink.
• Local distribution, on the other hand, is about how this connectivity is spread within a premises—primarily through Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet.

This distinction matters because the challenges, stakeholders, and technology used in these two domains are quite different. Budin emphasizes, “While fiber remains the gold standard for fixed backhaul, wireless (5G) and satellite solutions are gaining traction, especially for quickly connecting temporary sites or underserved areas.”

Though Wi-Fi is likely to maintain its dominance for internal distribution, recognizing the differences is the first step in building a coherent network strategy.

Faster Mobile Networks—Except Indoors

The introduction of 5G SA (Stand-Alone) technology promises higher speeds and lower latency. However, there’s a catch: higher frequency bands, which are essential for these improvements, struggle to penetrate obstacles like modern building walls.

The implications for businesses are significant. Natural indoor coverage for 5G and even 6G may fall short of advertised speeds. To optimize indoor 5G connectivity, investing in dedicated infrastructure such as Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) or small cells becomes essential. These solutions can be costly and complex to deploy, making Budin state, “WiFi will therefore remain the preferred and most reliable solution for high-performance indoor connectivity—even looking ahead to 2030.”

The Slow Rise of Private Networks

Beyond public 5G, private networks are gaining momentum. The idea is to implement a dedicated network that caters specifically to the needs of a business—be it in a factory, warehouse, port, or campus.

Private 5G networks are particularly effective in large areas where traditional Wi-Fi starts to falter. Support from regulators opening dedicated frequency bands and technology like Open RAN helps lower deployment costs. Open RAN involves decoupling hardware from software and virtualizing the network, contributing to network flexibility.

In practical terms, private 5G primarily serves critical use cases in industrial settings rather than replacing Wi-Fi for office work or guest access.

Open Roaming: A Promising Concept Still Waiting to Scale

Imagine seamlessly switching between various Wi-Fi networks or from mobile data to Wi-Fi without interruption; this is the promise of Open Roaming.

The initiative aims to offer secure, single sign-on authentication across different Wi-Fi networks, leveraging protocols like Passpoint. However, widespread adoption has been hampered by several challenges, including complex business models and concerns about data privacy.

Yet, in controlled environments such as retail stores, we may see more automatic connections through mobile apps utilizing Passpoint technology, providing a practical response to poor indoor coverage.

WiFi Will Remain the Dominant Player

Despite the increasing prominence of 5G and future developments like 6G, Wi-Fi remains indispensable, especially for guest and customer access in businesses and public venues.

One significant advantage of Wi-Fi is its decentralized nature. Any organization can deploy and manage its own Wi-Fi, influencing access conditions and experience customization, including data collection compliant with regulations like GDPR. For temporary or public access needs, Wi-Fi offers the most straightforward and adaptable solution—a trend likely to persist for years.

The Growing Importance of Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSR)

An emerging consideration in network infrastructure decisions is Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSR). As companies face mounting scrutiny to reduce their environmental footprint, this will reflect in requests for proposals (RFPs).

Budin notes that there will be an increased focus on energy consumption of equipment, entire product lifecycles, and sustainable practices. Choosing a technology or provider will increasingly translate into a commitment to sustainability. Solutions that are energy-efficient, durable, and low in carbon emissions will become competitive advantages.

A Future Built on Complementarity

Far from being dominated by a single technology, the future of enterprise connectivity by 2030 will be characterized by the intelligent coexistence of various options: fiber, public and private 5G/6G, Wi-Fi 6/7, and satellite solutions.

The challenge for businesses is to recognize the unique characteristics of each and select the right combination based on specific use cases, environments, and service level requirements. Security and sustainability considerations must also be integral to the network strategy from the outset.

Navigating Complexity with Expertise

Navigating this intricate landscape necessitates deep expertise. At Weblib and Ucopia, businesses can receive support in defining and deploying reliable and high-performance network strategies tailored to current and future challenges.

From optimizing Wi-Fi coverage to managing guest access seamlessly, organizations have the opportunity to not just adapt but thrive in this ever-evolving digital landscape.