Siân Morgan

Research Director

Dell’Oro Group’s Wireless LAN (WLAN) reports track the global market for enterprise WLAN infrastructure, including indoor and outdoor access points, controllers, and associated licenses. The reports provide detailed analysis of market size, manufacturer revenue, unit shipments, average selling prices, and regional performance, presenting and elaborating on vendor positioning and market dynamics.

WLAN infrastructure is a critical part of the enterprise network.  Many organizations have moved to a “Wi-Fi First” or “Wi-Fi Only” networking model. Digital transformation along with an increased adoption of AI has put wireless connectivity at the center of many organizations’ operations.  This continues to drive the worldwide market of both AP shipments and license revenue. AI-fueled WLAN features are differentiating offers and increasing vendors’ recurring revenue streams in a competitive market.

To take advantage of the opportunities in this market, component manufacturers, equipment vendors, service providers, and financial institutions need to answer critical business questions, including:

  • How is the adoption of Wi-Fi 7 driving market growth? How will this influence sales of Wi-Fi 6E?
  • When will Wi-Fi 8 be introduced, and how will it affect networking revenues?
  • How are component shortages influencing the WLAN market?
  • How will enterprises’ adoption of AI impact WLAN features, shipment volumes, and revenues?
  • Will WLAN use cases continue to drive double-digit revenue growth?
  • How much market growth is coming from price increases?
  • Which vertical industries are growing?
  • What are the vendor strategies for new technology introduction?
  • How will vendor mergers and acquisitions change the WLAN market outlook?
  • What changes are unfolding in cloud-managed Wi-Fi and subscription pricing?
  • How are 5G and CBRS impacting Wi-Fi in the enterprise?
  • How are sales to the Small and Medium Business segment trending compared to the overall market?
  • How are the unfolding macroeconomic conditions likely to affect WLAN revenues? Which regions are expected to grow revenues the most?

To answer these and other important questions, Dell’Oro Group delivers both quarterly reports and 5-year forecasts on the Wireless LAN market.

Wireless LAN Quarterly Reports

Dell’Oro Group publishes Wireless LAN quarterly reports with in-depth market and vendor-level information by the following segments:

  • Indoor and Outdoor Access Points (separately reported)
  • Controllers & Licenses

The reports include tables showing manufacturers’ revenue, units shipped, and average selling prices. We report each of the major wireless LAN standards:

  • 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)
  • 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E separately)
  • 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, Wave 1 and Wave 2 separately)
  • 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)
  • 802.11a/g
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11b

We also track:

  • Enterprise sales by vertical industries (including finance & professional services, government, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, K-12 education, logistics, manufacturing, retail)
  • Public Cloud-managed vs. Premises + Private Cloud-managed deployments
  • Access Point shipments by uplink port speed
  • Enterprise sales by customer size

Wireless LAN 5-Year Forecasts

Dell’Oro Group publishes Wireless LAN 5-year forecasts offering a complete overview of the market with historical data from 2000 to the present. The forecasts provide a comprehensive overview of market trends and include tables covering manufacturer revenue, units shipped, and average selling prices. We forecast each of the major wireless LAN standards:

  • 802.11 bn (Wi-Fi 8)
  • 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)
  • 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E separately)
  • 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, Wave 1 and Wave 2 separately)
  • 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)
  • 802.11a/g
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11b

We also track:

    • Regions of the world
    • Public Cloud-managed vs. Premises + Private Cloud-managed

Click here to contact us for more information about the Wireless LAN research program or about purchasing options.