Leveraging community wi-fi for infrastructure, integration & IoT
It seems unthinkable that wi-fi could become any more relevant in our lives – we rely on it every day, personally and professionally, to access the internet across a host of devices. However, major events on the horizon will usher in a new golden age of wi-fi – providing a backbone for digital infrastructure and unifying the past, present and future of communications.
In previous years, we have championed digital inclusion and emphasised how wi-fi connectivity enriches and improves the lives of residents. Of course, this still remains the case and we will continue working to bridge the digital divide. However, there is a second conversation to be had; how can housing providers fully harness the connectivity of wi-fi to enrich and improve their own organisations?
Why wi-fi? Upgrading networks for next-level infrastructure
At Social Telecoms, we have supplied, installed and now maintain over 1,300 wi-fi networks for housing providers across the UK. Our emphasis has always been on community wi-fi, giving residents access to the services they need for modern living.
But what if these networks had even more to offer? Wi-fi is a secure, low-cost solution for connectivity. It’s highly-scalable, allowing organisations to add new devices to a network wirelessly without the need for disruptive installation works. Most importantly, it’s a solution that most housing providers have already installed in their properties, yet aren’t using to its full potential.
Wi-fi may not sound like a major technological advance for housing providers but it’s actually something even better. It’s a solution that most organisations already have, that could be leveraged further to achieve seriously impressive results. This is easily achieved through the introduction of smart sensors and IoT devices, which empower organisations to provide a new standard of service.
With so much to gain from IoT devices, housing providers face one question: how easy is it to integrate IoT devices into an existing network?
The Matter of integration – New protocols for easy IoT
There are around 16 billion IoT devices connected globally with 32 billion connected devices forecast by 2030. Smart devices are likely to become an integral part of our daily lives in the same way as wi-fi, but only if organisations can integrate them into their current systems.
This is where Matter enters the conversation. Matter is an open source, royalty-free IoT connectivity protocol, providing a cohesive communications network for IoT devices. Introduced as a new standard for IoT devices, Matter was developed by the Connectivity Standards Agency (CSA, formerly the Zigbee Alliance) whose founding members include Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung and Silicon Labs.
Over 180 organisations are working behind the scenes to perfect Matter, building a unified, reliable and secure standard for smart devices. This enables manufacturers to produce devices with universal compatibility, and organisations to easily deploy IoT networks. It also benefits end-users with more devices that work alongside existing platforms such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit and Google’s Assistant.
Easy integration is a clear priority in the development of the Matter protocol. This removes significant barriers for organisations wanting to adopt IoT solutions by making the process as simple as connecting new devices to a wi-fi network.
Work smarter, not harder
Mould sensors are one example of an IoT device that helps housing providers, monitoring humidity and air quality in properties. Their benefits include preventing hazardous conditions, ensuring residents’ safety, demonstrating resident care, identifying widespread problems, enabling faster responses, reducing repair costs and removing the need for resident reporting.
These are the effects of just one device, supported over low-cost wi-fi. It doesn’t take much to imagine the benefits of an IoT network when you consider other applications for smart devices: lift lines, door-entry systems, personal care alarms, environmental sensors, leak detectors, smart boilers and more. Taken together, these devices offer an exciting new vision – an ‘internet of things-to-come’, supported by existing wi-fi infrastructures.
Housing providers have faced increased regulations and requirements in recent years – Tenant Satisfaction Measures, the Social Housing Regulation Act and Awaab’s Law all highlight the importance of resident care and proactive property maintenance. IoT devices empower organisations to meet and exceed these standards.
Additionally, smart devices provide valuable data, helping housing providers to build insights, develop new strategies and demonstrate compliance.
Out with the old – The PSTN switch-off & wi-fi switch-over
Due for disconnection by 2027, outdated PSTN lines currently support telephony, telecare services and IoT devices. These include critical devices such as lift lines, personal care alarms and CCTV – all of which require a modern, digital replacement to maintain connectivity.
Once again, the obvious choice is wi-fi – a highly-accessible, low-cost digital solution. Not only will wi-fi support IoT devices, but with UCaaS and VoIP options available for fixed communications, wi-fi provides solutions to seamlessly replace existing landline phones.
Telecare connections will also need new, digital solutions. For example, Carebuilder uses an IP-based system to provide round-the-clock safeguarding and a huge range of functions, including video calling, daily living reminders, how-to videos, access to services (such as pharmacies, GPs and taxis), calendar, entertainment apps and more. By comparison, traditional warden call systems provide limited care options, and lack the reliability of modern telecare services.
This highlights the extent to which wi-fi provides a universal solution for connectivity by serving as the backbone of modern communications. Not only does it enable the development of new IoT solutions but it will also absorb existing connections, replacing telephony as many currently know it.
Have you made wi-fi your backbone to the future?
The new golden age of wi-fi is inevitable. An explosive increase in IoT devices, adoption of the Matter protocol and the deactivation of analogue phone lines provide the perfect conditions for wi-fi to expand in every direction. These developments make it easier than ever to integrate new, future-facing devices into existing networks.
In turn, housing providers have access to advanced solutions for proactive property maintenance and resident care, perfectly timed to address recent demands on the housing sector.
With this in mind, why wait until 2027 when you could explore new digital solutions right now? Why rely on yesterday’s solutions to meet today’s regulations?
Housing providers that embrace wi-fi as their backbone can adopt these new systems and reap the benefits sooner. By providing secure, scalable connectivity, lower costs, improved operational efficiency and better tools for property management, the potential for digital infrastructure goes far beyond community wi-fi.
By embracing a bold, new future, carried by wi-fi infrastructure, housing providers can stay ahead, gaining maximum benefit with minimal disruption to existing systems.
Rob Mottram is the senior account manager at Social Telecoms.
