What is Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6, also known as Wi-Fi 802.11ax, is the latest wireless networking standard certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the consortium responsible for defining the technical standards for Wi-Fi technology.

A Technological Leap Forward

Sharply Rising Volumes

We estimate a performance gain of nearly 50% compared to Wi-Fi 5. The maximum theoretical data rate supported by Wi-Fi 6 is now 10.5 Gb/s, compared to 5.3 Gb/s for Wi-Fi 5.

Multi-user performance

Thanks to the new OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) feature, it is possible to simultaneously serve multiple devices with varying bandwidth needs, unlike the previous model in which devices competed with one another to send data. In dense environments, rather than using a single vehicle to transport a single passenger, this is analogous to carpooling. Traffic is consolidated into a single transmission, allowing multiple conversations to take place at the same time. In addition, the Mu-MIMO feature has been enhanced in Wi-Fi 6 to allow 8 devices to transmit simultaneously, with each device using a dedicated channel. Large packets (such as HD/UHD video) are thus handled more efficiently, while shorter packets (such as voice traffic) are better handled by OFDMA.

Improved management of device battery life

Wi-Fi 6 also introduces the TWT (Target Wake Time) feature, which allows devices to remain inactive until it is their turn to transmit data, using a scheduling scheme negotiated with access points. Since devices can enter an inactive mode, the battery life of end devices is extended—a key feature for the IoT.

Enhanced Security

The third version of the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) wireless network encryption protocol has been integrated into Wi-Fi 6. WPA3 improves Wi-Fi network security through new encryption mechanisms. At the same time, it addresses the security vulnerabilities discovered in WPA2.