• • • 2026 PREDICTIONS • • •
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY PREDICTIONS FOR 2026: AN ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE By Dunstan Power, Co-Founder and Director, ByteSnap Design
T
he wireless technology landscape is an ever-changing one. And, as we have fallen into 2026, it has reached a critical point, where engineers in the embedded systems field are dealing with an even more complex environment as low-power design, cybersecurity regulations and AI integration come together. These predictions from ByteSnap Design’s engineering team provide important insights into the challenges and opportunities being faced and welcomed across the electrical engineering community.
The ultra-low-power imperative The push for energy efficiency has become essential in embedded wireless design, across both consumer electronics and industrial applications. In consumer electronics, smartwatches and laptops now boast longer battery life. And, in industrial applications, battery powered industrial sensors last 10+ years, while data centre server CPUs are 50 per cent more efficient per watt than they were five years ago. Both consumer and industrial environments are shifting in how they use power. In factories and industrial settings, these tiny IoT devices have to keep working no matter what, even when they’re out in the middle of nowhere. The tricky part? They need to stay connected wirelessly while sipping as little power as possible. Engineers will need to get even more creative with power management solutions. This means considering exactly which components to use. As embedded systems keep getting smaller and more
wireless, there will be a constant juggling act between making them powerful enough to do the job, while keeping power usage and costs under control.
Cybersecurity compliance is the new reality
One of the biggest challenges for electrical engineers is the rise of mandatory cybersecurity laws. Starting in August 2025, the CE-Cyber Delegated Act under the Radio Directive applies to all wireless and radio products. This marks a significant change in product development rules, as non-compliance will stop manufacturers from claiming CE conformity or displaying the CE mark. Things will become even stricter in 2027 when the Cyber Resilience Act includes all connected products, like wired network devices and USB-connected gear with network features. Manufacturers must conduct thorough risk assessments alongside traditional testing, and any non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 2.5 per cent of annual revenue.
Similar regulations are coming in the United States under the FCC and in Brazil under ANATEL, but the common features in these rules create chances for combined testing and risk assessment. For electrical engineering companies, this means integrating cybersecurity compliance into product plans right away, rather than making it an afterthought.
Device authentication has become a key focus. With more IoT devices now connecting to
networks, ensuring data security without loss or interception is increasingly important. Certificates, tokens and unique identifiers will all need more attention as regulations change. Engineers must create authentication systems that meet compliance standards while being practical for large-scale deployment.
Bandwidth, spectrum and
infrastructure challenges The explosion of connected devices is really straining our infrastructure. A lot of these wireless embedded systems, think factory controls or self-driving tech, need lightning-fast response times and rock-solid reliability. But here’s the problem: our current networks, especially in busy cities and crowded areas, are already getting stretched thin. And as more and more devices come online, it’s only going to get harder to keep up.
On top of all that, we’re running out of wireless spectrum to work with, which just makes the whole situation more complicated. Congestion and interference create real obstacles that need innovative solutions. New real-time spectrum allocation technologies are emerging as a potential way to optimise bandwidth use across different wireless technologies, while lowering power use and improving RF spectrum sharing. The shift from 4G to 5G in IoT applications continues, with 3GPP introducing Reduced Capability 5G versions like NR-Light and RedCap specifically for IoT scenarios. Improved versions of NB-IoT and LTE-M under 5G, along with support for industrial private 5G networks with URLLC, mMTC, and TSN capabilities, are expanding the IoT landscape into 5G. However, adoption is slow as engineers weigh the costs against established 4G technologies.
AI at the edge and
distributed processing AI integration is changing the architecture of wireless devices. Motion sensors with customisable internal AI processing capabilities mark a significant improvement. They allow low-power usage of AI within IoT devices. By processing data locally instead of sending raw data to central stations, these sensors lower wireless bandwidth needs while offering speedier response times and enhanced privacy. This edge computing approach also applies to network security. AI can detect intrusions and scan
40 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • DECEMBER/JANUARY 2026
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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