The top networking trends shaping business in 2026

What matters most for 2026

Networking personnel don't need to look too long to find lists of revolutionary ideas, upcoming technical innovations and streamlined existing deployments touted to transform the industry. However, rather than examining the same common trends, networking leaders should focus on a curated set of trends that most support their specific organizational needs.

Selection criteria include the following:

• Enterprise readiness. The preparedness of a business network in deploying new technology.
• ROI. The expected business and financial return on the investment in new networking technology.
• Operational maturity. The efficiency with which an enterprise network team can deliver, manage and support new technology once implemented.

Top networking trends expected to shape 2026

Network trends to watch in 2026 range from AI to network as a service to wireless and more. As network leaders evaluate these trends, it's also important to keep UX, security and business agility in mind.

NaaS goes mainstream

The as-a-service model offers a subscription-based approach that turns what used to be massive Capex into predictable Opex. It also shifts responsibility to service providers, eliminating many of the headaches and maintenance tasks related to device ownership. Cloud-managed networking offers the same benefits as other cloud-hosted services.

NaaS adoption trends include the following:

• Telco-managed deployments.
• Vendor-specific platforms.
• Integrated hyperscalers.

Organizations with multi-site enterprise locations, large remote workforces or rapid deployment needs that require comprehensive network coverage might be particularly motivated to explore NaaS.

AIOps goes from visibility to autonomous operation

AI has its hands in everything, and network operations is no exception. Modern networks frequently connect on-premises, multi-cloud and worldwide capabilities, raising their complexity and scope beyond what modern network teams can effectively support. AI, and specifically AIOps, can help organizations easily shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive supervision in these complex environments.

Fundamental benefits of AIOps include the following:

• Machine learning-based anomaly detection.
• Root-cause analysis.
• Self-healing capabilities.

AIOps partners with existing network administrators to improve troubleshooting, optimize performance, prevent outages and plan capacity requirements. The result is reduced mean time to repair and improved adherence to service-level agreements. It also improves staff efficiency, leaving time and energy for innovation.

The shift to edge-based, distributed network architectures

Latency-sensitive workloads continue to push networking beyond the capabilities of centralized data centers. Combining distributed compute resources with localized network intelligence offers a key benefit.

Common adoption environments include the manufacturing, retail and healthcare industries. These industries benefit from the deployment of smart infrastructures that can support the heavy demands of their workloads, including real-time analytics, AI inference and industrial IoT services.

Distributed architectures that use edge compute and network resources benefit from more than performance; deployments are typically cost-effective when combined with a well-architected, modern WAN design.

Secure access service edge and security-driven networking

Networking and security are converging into a single control plane, ending the concept of security as an add-on or related feature. Network deployments rely on the same SASE, security service edge and zero-trust security models as other services, which eliminate many vulnerabilities and improve an organization's overall security posture. SASE is crucial in SaaS services and secure remote access, particularly in cloud-first and hybrid environments.

Network security initiatives offer plenty of benefits, such as the following:

• Tool consolidation.
• Reduced breach risk.
• Improved compliance.

SASE and network security are crucial to aligning security outcomes with network investments.

Private 5G for enterprise connectivity

Fiber-optic communication lines offer several benefits, including speed and security advantages. However, a modern wireless service such as private 5G is a credible and cost-effective alternative that organizations might want to consider.

Private 5G is an especially useful connectivity choice in locations where mobility and performance requirements combine to make a wireless-first approach logical, such as business campuses, remote locations and logistics hubs.

Private 5G use cases include the following:

• Rapid site deployments.
• Redundancy.
• Operational technology connectivity, including industrial control systems, supervisory control and data acquisition deployments, and other sensors or robotics.

In addition to scalability and flexibility, expect cost-benefit opportunities from faster rollouts and straightforward management costs.

Wi-Fi 7 and the evolution of enterprise LANs

LAN performance is critical for hybrid work, dense environments, augmented reality and virtual reality applications, and mobile collaborative teams. Wi-Fi 7, which is based on the IEEE 802.11be standard, updates architectures to support Multi-Link Operations.

MLO improves speeds and delivers more consistent performance to users. This benefits enterprises by enabling predictable application performance, even in interference-prone and dense environments. It represents a shift toward application-aware networking rather than traditional connectivity.

Benefits of MLO include the following:

• Improved user satisfaction.
• Reduced performance-related troubleshooting.
• Increased productivity.

Expect major rollouts across flexible and fast-moving enterprises in 2026. Organizations planning to implement Wi-Fi 7 should align deployment with their normal LAN refresh cycle and focus on high-density locations for optimal results.

The roadmap to 6G

While it's true that many developments will occur in 2026, some advancements will continue beyond the year. One crucial example is 6G, which offers ultra-low latency AI-based networking. 6G remains in the research stage, but it's essential to continue monitoring standards and making long-term plans for its adoption to stay ready for the future.

Network planning considerations for 2026

As networking leaders evaluate which trends fit into their organizations' requirements, it's important they keep in mind the following essential themes that cut across these technologies:

• Sustainability and energy-efficient networking.
• API-driven network capabilities.
• Digital twins for planning and risk modeling.
• Talent development and retention around automation, cloud networking and AI literacy.

It's also important to follow best practices during the deployment of any new technology. Key practices include the following:

• Focus on architectures rather than individual technologies.
• Prioritize trends that improve resilience, agility and cost transparency.
• Align network investments with business strategies.
• Do not neglect talent development and retention.

Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to TechTarget Editorial, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.