Everyone understands that faster internet is better, especially for business. The advent of Wi-Fi 6 opens a faster lane to the internet while delivering more efficient performance. Here's a look at what the sixth generation of wireless networking offers for your business.
What Wi-Fi 6 Means
Overseen by the Wi-Fi Alliance while following standards used by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Wi-Fi 6 is the sixth version of wireless fidelity. The first generation of the technology began in 1997, in which multiple devices shared an internet connection. The term "Wi-Fi" is trademarked by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit organization. The technology is based on the IEEE 802.11 networking standard, which has evolved this century into Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax.
A major advantage to Wi-Fi 6 is that it can handle transferring large amounts of data over a digital network. It exists on the same carrier frequencies as Wi-Fi 5 in the 2.4 to 5 GHz range. The main difference is the updated standard allows for more efficient allocation of data through multiple channels. Overall, the new standard provides a more seamless online experience.
Better Wireless Performance
For companies that need to regularly transmit large volumes of data online, Wi-Fi 6 will be a noticeable improvement, as it will speed up transmission and reduce latency. The directional antenna's Multiple-in Multiple-out (MIMO) capability provides four times better wireless performance for congested traffic compared with Wi-Fi 5. You can experience latency after a certain number of devices access resources on a Wi-Fi 5 connection, whereas Wi-Fi 6 doesn't have this problem.
Due to greater bandwidth and antenna strength, Wi-Fi 6 simply provides superior wireless coverage than previous versions. The new networking standard allows for smooth data transfer in big data applications. Here are some of the key ways Wi-Fi 6 can improve your business:
- Enhances service for populated networks
- Boosts the customer experience through a faster connection
- Reduces costs for networking and hardware devices
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Why Speed Matters
The fact that Wi-Fi 6 delivers data much faster than earlier wireless networks can increase a company's output significantly. It can lead to faster lead generation and faster decision-making for internal and external problem-solving. Speed particularly matters for organizations that move large amounts of data on a daily basis.
At 9.6 Gbps, the speed of Wi-Fi 6 is nearly triple the speed of Wi-Fi 5, which is 3.5 Gbps. These speeds, though, are theoretical and don't take into account all the factors in real-world scenarios. One of the key advantages to Wi-Fi 6 in terms of speed is that bandwidth can be segmented for multiple devices.
Speed also matters in the way it affects communication. The faster the speed, the less chance of latency, which creates awkward discussions. Communication among team members works better online with fast connections, so Wi-Fi 6 can be thought of as a communication upgrade. Another advantage to Wi-Fi 6 is that it allows routers to send data to several endpoints at once.
Key Wi-Fi 6 Benefits
- Stronger Security - Wireless networking in general is becoming more secure partly due to encryption.
- Longer Battery Life - Wi-Fi 6 features put devices to sleep when not in use, which frees up bandwidth.
- Less Congestion - You are less likely to experience traffic congestion on a Wi-Fi 6 network. A new resource allocation method called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) helps diversify the load.
- Greater Support of IoT - With Wi-Fi 6, a company no longer has to worry about a limited number of IoT devices that can access its network.
- Better Reliability - The reliability of data speed is enhanced with beamforming, which focuses on a signal in a certain pathway.
- Service More Devices - Spacial streams are becoming important metrics to count. A Wi-Fi router allows for 8x8 spacial streams, creating better service for multiple devices.
Notable Wi-Fi 6 Features
- Target Wait Time (TWT) - This feature improves network efficiency and battery life of mobile devices. It's useful for organizations that don't need constant connectivity.
- Basic Service Set - This feature helps firms that require dense network deployments.
- Quadrature Amplitude Modulation mode - An optional modulation feature that encodes data more efficiently.
- MU-MIMO - Multiple-User, Multiple-In, Multiple-Out (MU-MIMO) is a process that forms radio signals into beams with the help of several antennas.
- Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) - This feature strengthens security.
You might not have heard much about Wi-Fi 6 yet, but you're now informed about where networking is headed. It will help you plan your IT roadmap for the future. You have to upgrade your operation with more reliable and efficient solutions.
