Remember the days when the only somewhat decent Internet speeds were through an Ethernet cable? Wi-Fi, mobile hotspots, and LTE seemed years away, but many saw the potential of wireless connectivity.
Slowly but surely, Wi-Fi caught up and the number of early adopters was amazing. 2.4GHz wireless networks were the new standard. Although they offered decent speeds and a pretty good range, the constant quality improvements in media consumption pushed for more.
The next step was 5GHz radio frequencies. Of course, 5GHz added a lot of improvements on 2.4GHz, especially when we’re talking about speed. But its biggest drawback was the limited, and somehow sensitive to walls, range.
Well, with 4K content well established and 6K, 8K, or HDR streaming getting more and more popular, the need for something more is nowadays clearer than ever.
Wi-Fi 6 doesn’t include 6GHz supportLuckily, Wi-Fi 6 is here. And more importantly, Wi-Fi Alliance announced that Wi-Fi 6E is the new standard to look for. Why you may ask? Because only Wi-Fi 6E devices will be able to take advantage of the 6GHz band.
This new standard was needed to eliminate the confusion around Wi-Fi 6. Even if it doesn’t make much sense, the standard Wi-Fi 6 doesn’t have support for 6GHz bands. Odd, don’t you think?
But with Wi-Fi 6E in the picture, things get back to normal; that is if normal means that Wi-Fi 6E supports 6GHz radio frequencies. It’s worth noting that this much-needed upgrade offers faster data transfers and lower latency.
It includes 6GHz bands, along with 14 more 80MHz channels and 7 160MHz ones to help with the data transfers.
More than that, Wi-Fi 6E’s purpose is to make it clear which devices can use 6GHz bands and which can’t. This way, 6E branded devices will offer certitude.
When will I be able to use Wi-Fi 6E branded devices?For now, we’ll still have to wait for regulatory approvals before getting our hands on this kind of device, but we’ll surely see them more and more in 2020. Many hardware manufacturers are already on board, with more to come.
So if you’re eager to get your hands on a Wi-Fi 6E branded device, stay on the lookout. You won’t have to wait very long. Keep an eye on this page, as we will constantly update it with new info and you’ll be among the first to know about the latest and greatest.
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