The Wireless LAN (WLAN) market accelerated in the second half 2018, boosted by higher-end products. WLAN prices rise with mix shift to Wave 2, 802.11ax and NBASE-T, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group.
“The WLAN market outperformed in 3Q18, as price erosion slowed. Users opted for feature-rich products, such as Wave 2 access points and premises managed Controllers,” said Ritesh Patel, Industry Analyst at Dell’Oro Group. “This indicates purchases are coming from sophisticated users, which relate to large enterprises upgrading Ethernet switches and pulling along wireless LAN sales. We see the WLAN market entering a period when revenue growth may outpace unit growth, particularly as 802.11ax access points become material. The early to market 802.11ax products from Aerohive, Arris Ruckus, Huawei, and HPE are midrange or high-end boasting NBASE-T Ethernet. It will be a few more quarters before we see lower-end products” added Mr. Patel.
Additional highlights from the 3Q18 Wireless LAN Quarterly Report:
- Arris Ruckus, Cisco, HPE, and Ubiquiti gained share vs. the year-ago period.
- For the second sequential quarter North America led other regions
- Project delays weigh on China—but not for long.
- 802.11ac Wave 2 access points jumped over 10 points from the year-ago period.
