Get ready, Wi-Fi 6E is coming
Camil Kouchad
Network and Security Expert
What's going on?
Europe has just authorized the exploitation without license of the 6 GHz frequency band (in the 5925-6425 Mhz range) in order to make the arrival of the Wi-Fi 6E standard possible very soon. Some manufacturers like Aruba have already announced the first Wi-Fi terminals compatible with their 630 series.
Switzerland should follow this path soon and decide in favor of using this same frequency range.
Wifi 6 vs Wifi 6E : Flashback !
This new evolution of the 802.11ax standard includes all the improvements that came with Wi-Fi 6:
- MU-MIMO (Multi User – Multiple Input and Multiple Output)
- Allows communication to more devices at the same time (up to 8).
- OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)
- Allows for faster data transfers and reduced latency to multiple devices.
- TWT (Target WakeUp Time)
- Smart sleep mode to reduce power consumption of Wi-Fi hotspots and limit interference with neighboring devices.
- BSS-Coloring (Basic Service Set Coloring)
- In simple terms, if several access points are operating on the same channel, they can transmit data with a unique "color" identifier. This allows them to communicate at the same time without waiting, because the colors allow them to differentiate data from each other.
- WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access version 3)
- Evolution of the WPA standard by using the Dragonfly Key Exchange authentication system, also called SAE or Simultaneous Authentication of Equals.
«E» for Extended !
This means that a new 1200 MHz spectrum is available in the 6 GHz band, thanks to this larger frequency range, Wi-Fi 6E can deliver even higher data rates than Wi-Fi 6 (up to 2.4 Gbits/sec).
- Border spectrum (6 GHz)
- Higher bandwidth
- Less interference on the 6 GHz band
- Reduced latency
- 14 additional 80 MHz channels
- 7 additional 160 MHz channels
However, there are some potential drawbacks to using the 6 GHz spectrum:
- A reduced scope
- The non-possibility to use the 6 GHz band with the Wi-Fi 6 architectures already deployed. This requires new Wi-Fi terminals with a tri-radio architecture (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
What are the fields of application?
High density environments wanting to provide new services:
- Airports, Stadiums, Connected Buildings, Conference Centers...
- Cities and towns with a high density of people using the available Wi-Fi infrastructure
- Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
- IOT
Compatible equipment:
As of January 2021, the Wi-Fi Alliance has launched its Wi-Fi 6E certification program and maintains a list of compatible products. This means that the standard is therefore ready for widespread distribution in the market.
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