radio signals. These fundamental differences in design
have historically created a divergence in the applications
of these technologies; Wi-Fi is normally used indoors,
whereas cellular is normally used outdoors.
However, there are many other considerations
involved in comparing these two general approaches
to wireless connectivity:
• Cost: Because the licensing of cellular technologies
makes cellular infrastructure more expensive
for clients, Wi-Fi has a distinct advantage in terms
of deployment costs. Also, Wi-Fi typically avoids
the subscriber costs associated with paying
a network operator to use its infrastructure
and licensed spectrum.
• Ubiquity: Wi-Fi is everywhere. With its backwards
compatibility, its evolving infrastructure ensures
that investments in legacy devices are protected.
This contrasts with cellular chipsets, which usually
support only the latest generations of devices. The
result is that there are billions more Wi-Fi devices
in operation than cellular devices.
• Ease of Deployment: The two technologies’
divergent allegiances to licensed and unlicensed
spectrum mean very different levels of speed and
complexity in deployment. Wi-Fi can be set up
in minutes by most consumers, whereas cellular
still requires skilled administration.
• Coverage and Mobility: Because of the aforementioned
differences in design objectives between
cellular and Wi-Fi, cellular has evolved to deliver
wider outdoor coverage that can handle highly
mobile devices. Wi-Fi thrives indoors but is most
effective for short-range connectivity.
• Cadence of Innovation: Historically, Wi-Fi has
evolved faster than cellular via a technology
refresh cycle every five years versus cellular’s
10-year cadence. As bandwidth use continues
to grow and as demanding new applications
take hold, these innovation cycles will dictate
14 I ICT TODAY
the ability of each technology to cater to evolving
global demands.
Wi-Fi 6E AND 5G
In addition to the traditional tradeoffs of cellular versus
Wi-Fi, the evolution to 5G and Wi-Fi 6E has introduced
new features and capabilities that further blur the lines
between the two technologies. In fact, as cellular and
Wi-Fi have evolved, they have also begun to converge
and share innovation. Some examples include OFDMA,
multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), and beamforming, which
are used across modern forms of both networks
to manage growing data and device traffic and
to improve transmission rates.
The FCC’s release of 6 GHz unlicensed spectrum,
in addition to boosting the capabilities of Wi-Fi, also
provides a new outlet for 5G to offload traffic. Even
though cellular networks traditionally run on licensed
spectrum, they can also use unlicensed spectrum
to supplement bandwidth and coverage.
When Wi-Fi 6E and 5G are compared, there are some
very obvious similarities and advantages to each approach:
• Speed: Wi-Fi 6E supports a peak data rate of 9.6
Gb/s, which is comparable to 5G, but Wi-Fi 6E also
achieves a spectral efficiency of 62.5 bps/Hz, more
than double that of 5G’s specified 30 bps/Hz.
• Delivery: Both standards are capable of supporting
the latest and most demanding AR, VR, and
IoT applications (e.g., telemedicine) through
high-speed data rates and extremely low latency.
Both also support new protocols to extend the
battery life of associated client devices.
• Density: This is one area where Wi-Fi unequivocally
comes out on top. Wi-Fi 6E works very well
for extremely dense environments, such as stadiums,
campuses, and large venues. A single Wi-Fi
6E WAP, for example, can serve up to 1,024 clients
concurrently. Its trigger frame feature, which
is related to OFDMA, enables scheduled access
and results in improved transmission, bringing
its reliability in line with 5G’s.