We’re at the cusp of welcoming a new Wi-Fi standard, called Wi-Fi 6E, that promises to change the way we use wireless networks. Today, we will discuss what is Wi-Fi 6E and what to expect from the new technology. We will also tell you about the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E for a holistic understanding about the new standard and its possible impact on the way we use wireless networks in our homes and at our offices.

According to the Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute, more than 3 billion Wi-Fi devices are shipped each year – a figure that is expected to rise in the coming years. Wi-Fi 6E is expected to add a new dimension to the age-old technology, bringing new opportunities and new challenges. Here, we will discuss all of that, but we will start off with an explainer on what is Wi-Fi 6E and the difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.

  • What is Wi-Fi 6E?
  • What is Wi-Fi 6?
  • Difference Between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E (Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 6E)
  • Wi-Fi 6E Applications and Benefits
  • Wi-Fi 6E Disadvantages
  • Wi-Fi 6E Speed and Latency
  • Wi-Fi 6E Security
  • Wi-Fi 6E Availability
  • Wi-Fi 6E Release Date and Devices
  • Frequently Asked Questions

What is Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is the latest Wi-Fi standard specified by the Wi-Fi Alliance – the organization that owns and operates the “Wi-Fi” brand and logo. It is not a new specification, but an extended designation over and above Wi-Fi 6 and, will enable communication using the 6GHz band in addition to the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi standards. Wi-Fi 6E is the same standard as Wi-Fi 6 in terms of specifications, but with an extended spectrum that will include 6GHz+ frequencies, thereby adding higher throughput and lower latency (the ‘E’ in 6E stands for ‘Expanded’). Chart Courtesy: Wi-Fi Alliance

What is Wi-Fi 6?

To better understand Wi-Fi 6E, we will first need to understand what is Wi-Fi 6 and what it promises to improve over Wi-Fi 5 (Wi-Fi 802.11ac). Originally announced in late 2019, Wi-Fi 6 is an update over Wi-Fi 5 and, is designed to operate in license-exempt bands between 1 and 6GHz. In what has been described as the “biggest leap in wireless technology” in twenty years, the Wi-Fi Alliance is slated to publish the Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) standard in February 2021, bringing with it a series of improvements to address some of the limitations in the older generations.

As mentioned already, Wi-Fi 6E is an amendment to the Wi-Fi 6 standard, bringing faster speeds and lower latency. Wi-Fi 6E is otherwise identical to Wi-Fi 6 in terms of specifications, with the exception that 6E hardware can tap into new unlicensed wireless blocks in the 6GHz spectrum.

Here are the major differences between Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E at a glance:

Wi-Fi 6E Applications and Benefits

Wi-Fi 6E will support everything that Wi-Fi 6 offers, but will bring tons of new spectrum to ensure that your Wi-Fi devices do not have to share the airwaves with those of your neighbors’. Key benefits of Wi-Fi 6E include higher data rates, increased capacity, lower latency, sustained performance with multiple connected devices and improved power efficiency, making it an overall better choice for IoT.

While the use of the 6GHz spectrum will provide faster speeds with lower latency, it is also expected to offer slightly less range compared to the 2.4- and 5GHz bands. The higher frequency band is also expected to be obstructed more easily by physical barriers, like walls and trees, between the router and the device. Another factor that might potentially inhibit the fast take-off for the new technology is pricing. Wi-Fi 6 routers are already more expensive than their Wi-Fi 5 counterparts, and devices with 6E support are expected to be even more so. However, we should expect prices to come down as the technology becomes more mainstream in the coming years.

Wi-Fi 6E Speed and Latency

The theoretical maximum data throughput of Wi-Fi 6 is 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s), while Wi-Fi 5 tops out at 6.9 Gbps. This suggests an increase of more than 40%. According to Qualcomm, the maximum theoretical speed of its Wi-Fi 6E mobile phone chip is 3.6Gbps. Meanwhile, the new technology also has an ultra-low latency of less than 3 milliseconds, suggesting an improvement over earlier generations. The difference is even more pronounced in dense environments, where the latency is lower by more than 8 times.

Security and interoperability are at the heart of Wi-Fi 6E. It not only supports all available license-exempt frequencies between 1GHz and 6GHz, but also offers cutting-edge security protocols, including Tartget Wake Time and WPA 3.

Brazil, Chile, the European Union (EU), Japan, Mexico, South Korea,Taiwan, the UAE, the UK and the US, are all delivering 6GHz unlicensed spectrum to their citizens. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also recently authorized the first Wi-Fi device for use in the 6GHz spectrum band after voting in April 2020 to open up spectrum in the 6GHz band (5.925–7.125 GHz) for unlicensed use.

Wi-Fi 6E is expected to be officially detailed next month. According to Kevin Robinson, Senior Vice President of Marketing at WFA, more than 338 million Wi-Fi 6E devices are expected to enter the market in 2021. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first smartphone in the world to support Wi-Fi 6E, thanks to the BCM4389 chip from Broadcom. Asus, Broadcom, Intel and Qualcomm have also announced Wi-Fi 6E products that will start shipping this year. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – The First Smartphone With Wi-Fi 6E Support

Android

Most major Android manufacturers have been offering models with Wi-Fi 6 support since at least last year. The list includes the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Asus ROG Phone 3, Asus ZenPhone 7 series, Lenovo Legion Pro, OnePlus 8/ 8 Pro, Xiaomi Black Shark 3, Redmi K30 Pro/ Ultra and more.

Apple first incorporated Wi-Fi 6 support in its iPhone 11 lineup in 2019. It has since added the new technology to the iPhone 12 series, as well as the new iPad Pro and the M1 MacBooks. the devices that lack support for the new technology include the low-cost iPad, iPad Mini and the Intel-powered Macs.

Notable Wi-Fi 6 routers include the LinkSys MX10 Velop, Netgear Nighthawk MK62, ASUS RT-AX92U AX6100, etc. We expect the first lot of Wi-Fi 6E routers from Netgear, Intel, TP-Link, Asus and Xiaomi to start hitting the market once the standard is officially announced this year. Here is a list of all the WiFi 6E routers that are officially announced:

Frequently Asked Questions

How Fast is WiFi 6E?

The theoretical maximum data throughput of Wi-Fi 6 is 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s), which is an increase of more than 40% over WiFi 5. According to Qualcomm, the maximum theoretical speed of its WiFi 6E mobile phone chip is 3.6Gbps and the maximum theoretical speed of the router chip ranges from 5.4Gbps to 10.8Gbps. The new technology also has an ultra-low latency of less than 3 milliseconds.

Intel has already started shipping the AX210 Wi-Fi 6 adapter with support for Wi-Fi 6E. Broadcom, Caleno and Qualcomm have also announced their first Wi-Fi 6E chips that have already started finding their way to phones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Routers and other gadgets will also start supporting the new standard this year.

Does WiFi 6 Benefit Older Devices?

To enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, you have to upgrade your access points (routers, etc). Older devices that do not have the Wi-Fi 6 hardware cannot be updated to support Wi-Fi 6/ 6E.

If you’ve already updated to Wi-Fi 6-capable hardware, it doesn’t make sense at this stage to buy any new hardware. However, folks who are planning to upgrade their Wi-Fi 4 and 5 networks soon, might be better off holding off until 6E hardware becomes widely available.

The use of the 6GHz spectrum will provide faster speeds with lower latency, but is also expected to offer slightly less range compared to 2.4 and 5GHz bands. Overall, however, the addition of 1200MHz of spectrum will enable routers and other devices to operate in 14 additional 80 MHz channels and 7 additional 160 MHz channels.

Compared to Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 has some major advantages, including speed, the introduction of MU-MIMO and OFDMA (Spatial Multiplexing). While the theoretical maximum speeds of Wi-Fi 6 can touch 9.6 Gbps, while WiFi 5 can only hit up to 6.9 Gbps.

Does PS5 Support WiFi 6?

Yes, the PlayStation 5 comes with a Wi-Fi 6 wireless antenna and also supports Bluetooth 5.1.

The Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) already has a ‘Wi-Fi Certified 6’ program, enabling OEMs and vendors to advertise their routers, laptops, smartphones and other client-side devices as compatible with the new standard. Once the Wi-Fi 6E standard is finalized, the organization will also announce a similar program for Wi-Fi 6E to let buyers know which devices support the technology.

While Wi-Fi 6 will be a major update over Wi-Fi 5, the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E is not enough for most people to justify an upgrade over Wi-Fi 6. However, if you face issues such as device density, latency, throughput or interference, it might be something worth looking at. Enterprises, however, may reap the benefits of upgrading portions of their WLAN with Wi-Fi 6E access points if it is planning to add hundreds or thousands of 6E-capable IoT devices to its network.