Wi-Fi has become an indispensable part of our lives and the technology has continuously evolved over the years. Starting with Wi-Fi 1, the technology has progressed all the way to Wi-Fi 6. For each generation of Wi-Fi, we have seen an improvement in data transfer rate. The clarity and stability of connections has also improved with each generation of Wi-Fi. Now customers can expect even higher speed and clarity, as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the commercial use of 6 GHz band in USA. This in turn will facilitate the production of new devices that use Wi-Fi 6E.
Benefits of Wi-Fi 6E
As of now, Wi-Fi devices use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz or both bands for transferring data. The next-gen Wi-Fi devices (Wi-Fi 6E) will be using the 6 GHz band, thereby offering a range of benefits.
- Faster: Wi-Fi 6E will be faster than its predecessor Wi-Fi 6. Exactly how much fast will be revealed when Wi-Fi 6E devices are launched later this year in the United States. For reference, while Wi-Fi 5 offers top speed of 6.9 gbps, Wi-Fi 6 can transfer data at 9.6 gbps. Wi-Fi 6E will be even faster than this.
- Connect more devices: Wi-Fi 6E will be able to support more devices, as compared to Wi-Fi 6. This will be very useful, as the number of wireless devices in our homes is consistently growing. For reference, Wi-Fi 6 can support 4 times the number of devices supported by Wi-Fi 5.
- Greater stability: Wi-Fi 6E will create more stable connections, making it appropriate for critical tasks at home and office. Accessing streaming services and online gaming will also become a seamless operation with Wi-Fi 6E.
- Minimize conflicts: If you look up your Wi-Fi dashboard, you are likely to see dozens of Wi-Fi connections from other users. As most of these belong to 2.4 or 5 GHz, it can create conflicts with your Wi-Fi connection. Such issues can be avoided with Wi-Fi 6E devices.
- Reduce power consumption: Wi-Fi 6E devices will use less power, as they will have more advanced wake-up and sleep cycles.
Can Wi-Fi 6E connect to your old devices?
Yes, it can. That’s because these devices will be backwards-compatible. Even if your mobile, PC, laptop or other devices use the old Wi-Fi standard, you can still connect them to your Wi-Fi 6E router. In this case, however, you won’t be getting all the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E.
Should you buy Wi-Fi 6E router?
Wi-Fi 6E routers will be beneficial only when you have compatible devices that also use Wi-Fi 6E technology. Such devices can take a couple of years to hit the market. It would be better to wait until that time. You will also need adequate funds, as Wi-Fi 6E devices will be quite costly at the time of launch.