Wi-Fi is a staple in our digital age, powering everything from student research in libraries to remote access to materials for traveling workers. Today, Wi-Fi carries the majority of Internet traffic and provides huge economic benefits to our society. As the digital world evolves, so too does Wi-Fi. In October of last year, Wi-Fi Alliance announced the rollout of the latest Wi-Fi standard called Wi-Fi 6, which is designed to provide faster, more reliable services that can support the next generation of technology. Here’s a look at what it is and what it means for you and your devices.
What’s Wi-Fi 6?
Wi-Fi 6 is a new standard of Wi-Fi that will take the complication out of Wi-Fi naming as this new classification system categorizes the previously-used Wi-Fi names into more understandable Wi-Fi generations:
- 802.11n (2009) = Wi-Fi 4
- 802.11ac (2014) = Wi-Fi 5
- 802.11ax (2019) = Wi-Fi 6
Upgraded Consumer Experience
This isn’t just about speed; think of it as an all-around upgraded Wi-Fi experience. Not only does Wi-Fi 6 provide faster connectivity, but it also has the ability to support and communicate with dozens of devices at once without causing an overall slow-down. It also allows you to save more battery power during device usage. This means a greater individual Wi-Fi experience in large crowds in places like stadiums and airports and better service for things like gaming and IoT.
The Wi-Fi 6 Ecosystem Has Arrived
Luckily for consumers, the Wi-Fi 6 ecosystem has already started to roll out. Cisco, Netgear, Asus, and TP-Link have already launched Wi-Fi 6 routers — and more have release dates set for later this year. (See a guide for routers to keep your eye out for here). The Samsung Galaxy S10 will be the first phone to support Wi-Fi 6, and we can expect the next generation of iPhones, laptops, and smart home devices to include the new standard, too. New routers and devices are backward compatible, so they can still work with Wi-Fi 5 technology, but only Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices will receive the full benefits of the Wi-Fi 6 experience.
Wi-Fi 6 will supercharge the Wi-Fi that we already know and love, but to take advantage of all of its benefits, we need more spectrum. Designating spectrum in the mid-band for unlicensed use would create wider channels which would unleash the full power of Wi-Fi 6. Creating this “Wi-Fi Superhighway” is critical to future-proofing our Wi-Fi 6 networks.