Powering tomorrow: Kshitij Mahant on the future of wireless innovation

In today’s hyper-connected world, Wi-Fi has evolved from a convenience to a critical infrastructure. It supports everything from life-saving medical devices to the automated factories driving the next-gen industry. As the backbone of the digital economy, wireless networking must now meet unprecedented demands—and few understand this better than Kshitij Mahant, Technical Marketing Senior Manager at Cisco.

Kshitij Mahant, a recognized leader in enterprise networking, has spent over a decade shaping wireless innovation at Cisco. From sustainable connectivity in underserved regions to AI-driven enterprise solutions, his work blends purpose with cutting-edge progress. He has been an International Advisory member and a keynote speaker at ICMR 2024 where he has won the “Best Technology Innovation Presentation & Paper” award.  At ARIIA - 2024, Kshitij served as the session chair and provided strategic inputs for the conference in the capacity of an advisory board member. 

From Rebuilding to Reinventing

Kshitij Mahant's deep-rooted understanding of wireless networking challenges can be traced back to the early days of his career, when he led efforts to restore connectivity to Haiti’s state university system after the devastating 2010 earthquake.  That experience cemented his belief that wireless technology isn’t just about speed or spectrum—it’s about creating meaningful impact where it matters most.

Now at Cisco, he’s playing a key role in advancing next-gen Wi-Fi and AI-led innovations that enable scalable, self-optimizing, and resilient wireless infrastructure. Kshitij shares, “Connectivity today underpins every industry. The question is no longer whether we need faster networks—it’s whether we’re building them fast enough to stay ahead.”

The explosion of connected devices—across homes, cities, and industries—has strained legacy networks to the brink. As high-bandwidth applications like 4K video, AR/VR, and edge-based AI workloads become the norm, global data traffic is expected to grow over twenty-fold by 2030.

While spectrum expansion through Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 offers relief, Mahant notes that simply adding bandwidth isn’t the solution. Kshitij explains, “Everyone's talking about adding more wireless spectrum, but we haven’t even made the best use of what we already have. That’s why the focus is shifting to smarter networks—ones that can adjust on their own and handle traffic efficiently without needing constant manual fixes.”

AI at the Helm: Building Self-Optimizing Networks

One of the most transformative shifts Mahant champions is the use of AI in network optimization. Traditional wireless management relied on manual configurations, often leaving networks vulnerable to interference and outages. Today, that model no longer scales.

Cisco has pioneered AI-driven Radio Resource Management (RRM), allowing networks to adapt in real time—adjusting frequencies, power levels, and signal paths autonomously. The result: 65% less interference, 8 dB higher signal clarity, and 80% fewer manual updates.

Kshitij says, “In important areas like healthcare and finance, even a short break in service can be risky and expensive. Using AI helps keep systems running smoothly and reliably, even when they need to handle a lot of work."

Wi-Fi 6E & 7: A New Horizon in Connectivity

Alongside smarter management, the evolution of Wi-Fi technologies is expanding what networks can achieve. Wi-Fi 6E and the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard unlock the 6 GHz band, offering low latency, greater capacity, and seamless support for dense environments.

Mahant led Cisco’s Wi-Fi 6E efforts, delivering access points with 25% higher throughput and 35% better energy efficiency than competitors. Absolutely! Here's an elaborated and simplified version of that quote:

Kshitij explains, "People often talk about internet speed, but the truth is, most applications need speed, reliability and what really makes a difference is low latency - which means almost no delay when you send or receive data - plus having enough capacity to handle large amounts of data and support hundreds of users at the same time. These features are especially important for businesses, online learning, and smart infrastructure like traffic systems or connected buildings."

With over 42 billion Wi-Fi devices deployed globally, these enhancements are poised to redefine how people and businesses engage with the world—from smart classrooms and hospitals to city-wide infrastructure.

What’s Next: Intent-Based, AI-Led, and Hyper-Aware

Looking ahead, Kshitij Mahant sees the future of networking in convergence- AI, private 5G, and dynamic spectrum management working together to build truly adaptive systems. At the core lies a concept known as intent-based networking, where systems proactively detect, respond to, and even predict issues before users are affected.

As smart cities, edge computing, and hybrid work models continue to accelerate, Kshitij is clear-eyed about the challenge. Kshitij concluded saying, "We’re moving into a time where speed alone isn’t enough—networks need to be smart, flexible, and extremely dependable. The companies that recognize this shift will be the ones shaping the future."