What Is Wi-Fi 6E? Why Do You Need It?

Posted on Oct 26, 2023

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Wi-Fi 6E has arrived, and regardless of your current awareness of its importance, it's undeniably an exhilarating breakthrough! In this article, we embark on an exploration of the fundamental aspects of Wi-Fi 6E, decipher why it holds such immense significance, and uncover the myriad ways it elevates our network connectivity experience.

What’s Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of the Wi-Fi 6 standard released by the Wi-Fi Alliance, allowing operation in the 6 GHz frequency band while also supporting the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Within the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E devices can take full advantage of an additional 1200 MHz spectrum. This new frequency band is free from interference and overlaps, providing Wi-Fi devices with more capacity, wider channels, and reduced latency. It paves the way for future innovative applications, including augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) and 8K streaming, and elevates wireless connectivity performance to a new level.

How Does Wi-Fi 6E Work?

Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 6 GHz frequency band, increasing channel and spectrum resources, incorporating advanced features of 802.11ax, and cooperating with Target Wake Time (TWT) and high-order modulation technology to deliver higher capacity and more efficient network performance to meet the demands of modern networks.

Utilizing the 6 GHz Frequency Band: Wi-Fi 6E not only leverages the existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands but also introduces the availability of the 6 GHz frequency band.
Expanding Channels and Spectrum Resources: Wi-Fi 6E networks are equipped with an additional 14 80 MHz channels and 7 160 MHz channels, enhancing their channel and spectrum resources.
Leveraging Advanced 802.11ax Features: Features such as 8x8 MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and BSS Color are used to provide up to four times the capacity, efficiently handling a multitude of high-bandwidth, low-latency applications.
Target Wake Time (TWT): TWT is employed to improve network efficiency and extend device battery life, making it particularly crucial for low-power communications in IoT devices.
1024-QAM Modulation: This technology enables the transmission of more data within the same amount of spectrum, increasing throughput for emerging bandwidth-intensive applications.

Do You Need Wi-Fi 6E?

In today's fast-paced digital world, the demand for robust and high-performance Wi-Fi connectivity has never been greater, and as reliance on Wi-Fi continues to grow, so do the challenges it faces.

Increasing Wi-Fi Device Numbers: With the surge in Wi-Fi devices, from smartphones to IoT equipment, the demand for connectivity is on the rise.
Heavier Traffic on Wi-Fi: As bandwidth-hungry applications like 4K video streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing become more prevalent, the need for additional bandwidth is evident.
Congestion in Legacy Frequency Bands: Early Wi-Fi frequency bands, such as 2.4GHz and 5GHz, have become crowded due to the multitude of networks operating within them.
Network Interference: Traditional Wi-Fi frequency bands are susceptible to interference from other electronic devices and neighboring networks, resulting in network performance issues.

What Is Wi-Fi 6E? Why Do You Need It?

How Significant Is Wi-Fi 6E?

Greater Capacity: With 7 new 160MHz wide channels, it allows more devices to connect to the network simultaneously without causing congestion, enabling it to meet the growing demands of device density and connections.
Less Interference: The 6GHz spectrum benefits from management and efficiency of Wi-Fi 6, avoiding interference from other wireless devices and networks, thereby enhancing network stability and performance.
Higher Performance: The wider spectrum and channel width provide higher throughput, resulting in faster data transfer speeds, making it ideal for gaming, augmented/virtual reality, robotics, and large file downloads.