Current advancements within the WiFi domain, such as network densification, traffic offloading, and IoT support, pave the way for increased user and operator satisfaction with future (5G and beyond) network deployments. However, without seamless coexistence of novel and legacy WiFi devices as well as between heterogeneous WiFi networks, the goal of ubiquitous and effortless wireless access may be delayed. In this article, we identify several future WiFi use cases based on current trends in the research community as well as developments within IEEE 802.11 and analyze the functionalities required in these use cases, taking into consideration two important aspects: coexistence between new and legacy WiFi devices, and inter-network interference. Through our research we show that, despite several identified shortcomings and open issues, WiFi will definitely be a crucial component of future network deployments.

中文翻译：

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未来 WiFi 网络的共存问题


WiFi 领域当前的进步，例如网络致密化、流量分流和物联网支持，为提高用户和运营商对未来（5G 及更高版本）网络部署的满意度铺平了道路。然而，如果新型和传统 WiFi 设备以及异构 WiFi 网络之间不能无缝共存，那么无处不在、轻松无线接入的目标可能会被推迟。在本文中，我们根据研究界的当前趋势以及 IEEE 802.11 的发展确定了几个未来的 WiFi 使用案例，并分析了这些使用案例所需的功能，同时考虑了两个重要方面：新旧 WiFi 设备之间的共存，以及网络间的干扰。通过我们的研究，我们发现，尽管存在一些已知的缺点和未解决的问题，WiFi 肯定会成为未来网络部署的重要组成部分。