What Is WiFi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E vs. Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6E extends the functions of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz frequency band. Other Wi-Fi 6 features are still available for Wi-Fi 6E.

The 6 GHz frequency band provides contiguous spectrum blocks that are globally unified, operating in the range of 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz. With this 1200 MHz spectrum available for use, Wi-Fi 6E devices will be able to work on 7 additional 160 MHz channels, 14 additional 80 MHz channels, 29 additional 40 MHz channels, or 59 additional 20 MHz channels.

Regulators in many countries and regions now are opening up the 6 GHz unlicensed spectrum to their citizens, including Brazil, Chile, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan (China), the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The 6 GHz frequency band will address various challenges by providing the following:

• High concurrency

  Wi-Fi 6E can work on the 6 GHz frequency band, providing an additional 1200 MHz in spectrum resources, which are even more than the total resources provided by the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. These new spectrum resources alleviate channel congestion and improve the concurrency rate.

• High bandwidth

  It is well known that Wi-Fi 6 defines 160 MHz channels to achieve a higher rate. In actual use, however, 160 MHz channels are not so commonly used. Currently, Wi-Fi mainly leverages 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, on which different spectrum ranges are opened in different countries. Nevertheless, it is difficult to provide sufficient 160 MHz channels on these two frequency bands. The 6 GHz frequency band provides additional 160 MHz channels so that the use of 160 MHz bandwidth is made practical. This easily meets high bandwidth requirements.

• Low latency

  Conventional Wi-Fi devices support only the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands and therefore cannot operate on 6 GHz channels. In contrast, Wi-Fi 6E devices support the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. That is, only Wi-Fi 6E devices run on the 6 GHz frequency band. Such separation meets the latency requirements of latency-sensitive applications.

Therefore, the 6 GHz frequency band is more suitable for applications that require higher bandwidth and lower latency, such as unified communications, cloud computing, and AR/VR.

As with anything, the 6 GHz frequency band is not perfect. It uses short waves, which adapt to high-speed transmission but are not suitable for long-distance transmission and suffer from high attenuation.

How to Get Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi 6E devices will be backward compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and earlier Wi-Fi standards. However, to leverage new 6 GHz channels available in Wi-Fi 6E, devices must support the 6 GHz frequency band. That is, Wi-Fi 6E features are available only when Wi-Fi 6E-capable terminals (such as PCs or smartphones) work with Wi-Fi 6E-capable APs.

Do You Need to Upgrade Your Network to Wi-Fi 6E?

Regarding the 6 GHz frequency band for Wi-Fi use, most countries and regions are still in the survey or wait-and-see phase. There are only few terminals supporting the 6 GHz frequency band now. In the next three to five years, Wi-Fi terminals will still mainly support 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. According to the technology evolution cycles of previous Wi-Fi generations, it usually takes three to four years for a new Wi-Fi standard to reach a 50% penetration rate. Considering the varying 6 GHz frequency band open-up time in countries and regions, the Wi-Fi 6E popularization period may be longer. Therefore, unless otherwise required, just use your Wi-Fi 6 products to enjoy optimal Wi-Fi 6 network experience, without having to wait for 6 GHz-capable devices.