TECHNICAL
The market is experiencing significant growth as demand for energy-efficient appliances increases as consumers seek to reduce their utility bills and minimise their carbon footprint. The firm says integration of Wi-Fi connectivity is enabling users to remotely monitor and control their washing machines, as well as receive notifications and diagnostics. Another home appliance category with significant headroom for growth is the smart refrigerator and freezer market. This was estimated by Grand View Research to be worth US$27.58 billion in 2024. The integration of smart technology into refrigerators is gaining massive momentum in the industry, the firm says, and smart refrigerators that are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, touchscreens and virtual assistants are enhancing the ownership experience of smart fridges and freezers. 8 Wi-Fi is long-established as a means to connect thermostats and a recent study from Zion Market Research predicts the global market will grow in value from US$2.23 billion in 2023 to US$11.49 billion in 2032, at a CAGR or approximately 20%. 9
to open up new innovations across fitness, health and wellbeing and elite sport. The global market for wearable electronic devices is forecast to reach 644 million units and US$90 billion in spending by 2028, reports Gartner. 10 Consumer health and hybrid work trends will drive the need for smartwatches, head-mounted displays and ear-worn devices. Products such as rings and glasses are also being adopted to monitor health and support other activities. Wi-Fi connectivity will have a significant part to play in supporting these use cases, especially when AI is applied because of the need for robust, secure connectivity. SPECIALIsED INDUSTRIAL USE CASES Wi-Fi provides a great way to cover a site with wireless connectivity and, with HaLow the area covered can be significantly expanded. As a secure, mature technology, enterprises utilise Wi- Fi to manage their campuses taking
in building management, access control and connections in public areas. The technology is also adopted in industrial settings to support machines, robots, automated guided vehicles, monitoring and security use cases and worker protection.
BUILDING MANAGEMENT AND HVAC
In building management, Wi-Fi is used in air conditioning and HVAC and in support of meeting rooms, conferencing devices and of course, tablets and PCs. While traditional HVAC systems have a binary function of on or off, smart HVAC systems offer many more features and condition the air based on multiple factors such as ambient temperature, occupancy, equipment scheduling and energy consumption. Smart HVAC goes far beyond basic cooling and heating functions by bridging the connected and unconnected through intelligent climate control. This comprises temperature, air quality and humidity tracking and enables remote management, proactive, predictive maintenance and energy optimisation.
WEARABLES, FITNESS AND WELLBEING
Outside of the home, there are numerous use cases for Wi-Fi. In sports, athletes routinely use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in their wearable equipment. This extends from vests to measure fitness to basketball hoops and shoots to aid coaches as they train athletes. The compact nature of Wi-Fi solutions, coupled with their affordability continues
Figure 3: Global Wi-Fi thermostat market growth 2024-2032
Volume 48 No.1 MARCH 2026
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