THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGES OF Wi-Fi 6E
Distinct advantages of Wi-Fi 6E over previous generations
of Wi-Fi include:
Faster Real-World Speeds
Wi-Fi 6E does not deliver faster max physical layer (PHY)
rates than Wi-Fi 6, but it does achieve faster real-world
transfer rates because these are dependent on factors that
it facilitates, such as wireless signal strength, associated
device capabilities, and traffic from legacy devices. For
example, while 802.11b devices will work on an 802.11ax
connection, they will not be able to fully realize the faster
speeds associated with the new standard. Meanwhile, all
Wi-Fi 6E devices will be fast.
Deterministic Operation
Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access
(OFDMA) was introduced into the Wi-Fi standard via
Wi-Fi 6. It is a new way of handling traffic between
a wireless access point (WAP) and various client devices,
such as cellphones, tablets, and laptops. If one thinks
of the relationship between WAPs and client devices
as a package delivery service, the old way of modulating
traffic might look something like a fleet of cars traveling
to and from the shipping center and various receivers,
delivering one package at a time.
10 I ICT TODAY
As the only Wi-Fi standard
to use the new 6 GHz band,
Wi-Fi 6E is in a unique
position to deliver faster speeds,
lower latency, and higher
overall performance than
previous generations of Wi-Fi.
technologies. This low latency enables a host
of real-time applications over the convenience
of a wireless connection.
Dedicated Channels
Specifically, Wi-Fi 6E addresses an increasingly relevant
shortcoming of previous Wi-Fi generations, which is their
inability to keep up with the demands of multiple devices
vying for the same wireless bands. Wi-Fi 6E opens up
seven discrete 160 MHz channels (or fourteen 80 MHz
channels) for transmission.
To put this in perspective, today’s 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
bands deliver a total of 49 discrete channels, while 6 GHz
offers 109. Thus, the addition of the 6 GHz band more
than triples the number of Wi-Fi channels available—as it
goes from 49 channels to 158. These additional channels
will not only help to lower congestion by keeping less
demanding devices on more common channels, but
will also allow faster traffic to fly through dedicated
high-speed lanes.
Additionally, the new Wi-Fi 6E standard allows the
same power spectral density across all channel bandwidth,
thereby reducing the penalty for accessing larger channels.
This, in conjunction with less congestion due to more
spectrum and lack of legacy devices, will enable the
latest devices to make use of larger bandwidths.
By comparison, OFDMA is a semitruck carrying
boxes destined for multiple receivers in a single trip.
It is more efficient, reduces the overall shipping time
(or latency), and reduces traffic on the roads. The
wider lanes on the 6 GHz highway enable more semis
to deliver more packages.
The ability to improve package delivery service
enables much higher levels of quality of service (QoS)
for these connections that, in turn, can be leaned
on to fulfill specific service level agreements (SLAs)
to support time-sensitive and high-bandwidth
applications, such as gaming and telemedicine.
Latency
In addition to OFDMA, minimal congestion on the
6 GHz highway also allows Wi-Fi 6E to bring packet
latency down to around 2 ms—much less than the
blink of an eye and much more in line with competing