IEEE 802.11ax, also known as WiFi 6, is a type of WLAN within the IEEE 802.11 suite. This new standard will be fundamental for the development of digitalization processes, as well as for the implementation of technologies such as 5G or the Internet of Things.
It is designed for use in the existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectra.
WI-FI USAGE SCENARIOS 6
802.11ax is designed for:
- High-density public environments: airports, trains, auditoriums, shopping centers, stadiums…
- in enterprises for 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) deployments,
- homes with intensive internet use, and
- offices that use high-bandwidth applications (e.g., VoIP).
- 802.11ax is also designed to allow us to browse and download data faster from our mobile devices.
What does the use of Wi-Fi 6 provide?
- Network decongestion: We have an increasing number of devices connected to the internet, and routers must be capable of supporting multiple simultaneous connections. WiFi 6 is designed to offer greater range and coverage; therefore, connectivity in “dense environments” will improve the user experience.
- Higher speed: this standard allows speeds of up to 11 Gbps across three or more devices simultaneously, with a maximum speed of 5 Gbps on a single device.
- Performance: Wi-Fi 6 will result in lower battery costs, up to two-thirds less than what current mobile device standards consume, through a feature called Target Wake Time (TWT). This allows devices to remain inactive until it is their turn to transmit data using a scheduling scheme negotiated with the APs.
All of this is possible because, as previously mentioned, IEEE 802.11ax, in addition to using MIMO and MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output), introduces OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access). It improves overall spectral efficiency, and thanks to its 1024-QAM modulation, WiFi 6 bandwidth responds much better to high-density information scenarios and quadruples the capabilities of WiFi 5, providing higher performance. Although the nominal data rate is only 37% higher than IEEE 802.11ac, it is expected to achieve a fourfold increase in user throughput due to more efficient spectrum utilization with lower power consumption.
From a security standpoint, Wi-Fi 6 supports the WPA3 protocol, which will make your wireless connection much more secure.
With Wi-Fi 6, companies can take advantage of significant innovations.
Wi-Fi 6 will drastically improve the wireless experience and enable new uses for wireless networks that were previously not possible.
With Wi-Fi 6, latency decreases, offering a much better experience in applications such as streaming, video calls, and shared desktop tasks.
The orchestration of management systems for these separate networks is our next frontier.
With so many changes in the way we connect, we face an exceptional opportunity to combine technological change with strategic planning while exploring how new wireless capabilities will change the way our businesses operate.
Related news:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/solutions/enterprise-networks/802-11ax-solution/index.html
