Wi-Fi 6 Technology Explained With Pros And Cons

5G wireless network is going to change the way that we interact with the internet. Similarly, there is a parallel technology that is as important as 5G -- the Wi-Fi 6. So, what is Wi-Fi 6 and how different it is from the current Wi-Fi standards? Let's find out.

The Technicalities

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest standard in wireless networking, which will also be called as the 802.11ax. Just like 5G (5th Gen wireless network), Wi-Fi 6 is the sixth iteration of the 802.11 standards. The Wi-Fi 6 is claimed to be 40 percent faster than Wi-Fi 5.

In theory, a Wi-Fi 6 network can offer up to 9.6 Gbps download speed, compared to the 6.9Gbps download speed on an 802.11ac network. Wi-Fi 6 uses 1024-QAM technology with a frequency range of 80 MHz to 160 MHz, offering better internet connection even if there are number of devices connected to the router.

Advantages Of Wi-Fi 6

Just like a 5GHz Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi 6 uses 8x8 MU-MIMO or multi-user multi-input, multi-output, where more devices can be connected to the same router. Thanks to the higher bandwidth, a Wi-Fi 6 router can handle number of devices compared to a 5GHz or 2.4GHz Wi-Fi router.

Laptops, smartphones, and routers with Wi-Fi 6 certification are already available in the market. One needs to have a device and a router with Wi-Fi 6 certification to utilize this technology.

The Wi-Fi 6 technology utilizes TWT or Target Wake Time, which helps the smartphones and laptops to save battery by negotiating the wakeup and sleep time of a device.

Disadvantages Of Wi-Fi 6

As of today smartphones, laptops and routers equipped with the Wi-Fi 6 technology are on an expensive side. Besides, one needs to have a Gigabit-class broadband connection to fully utilize Wi-Fi 6 technology.

One more caveat that the Wi-Fi 6 posses is the network range. The Wi-Fi 6 has a smaller range compared to the 5GHz network, and the signals will be interrupted more often if there is an obstruction between the router and the device.