What is Wi-Fi-6E and how is it different from Wi-Fi-6

Three years ago, Wi-Fi 6 technology entered the market, bringing faster speeds, lower latency, and improved security to many homes. Since then, a series of technological developments have made the Wi-Fi experience even better. As cable Internet service providers continue to stay ahead of consumer needs and be at the forefront of innovation, here's what these developments mean for consumers.

What is Wi-Fi-6E and how is it different from Wi-Fi-6

Wi-Fi 6 is the name of the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology released in 2019. The sixth generation of Wi-Fi technology helps ease network congestion and delivers gigabit speeds, paving the way for the 10G speeds promised by the cable industry to be available in homes across the country.

Wi-Fi 6E refers to the latest generation of Wi-Fi 6 technology, which takes advantage of a new band of wireless spectrum. The FCC approved the unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band in 2020, providing much-needed bandwidth for routers. 6 GHz marks the largest increase in Wi-Fi spectrum since 1989.

As more devices come online and utilize the wireless spectrum, the airwaves are becoming more crowded. PCMag reports that the 6 GHz band has four times the number of available channels for Wi-Fi, which means Wi-Fi 6E routers and devices are more flexible than Wi-Fi 6 technology.

These new technologies include Wi-Fi connected devices, from routers to smart light bulbs to tablets. Wi-Fi 6/E is also backward compatible, which means that if someone buys a new smart speaker running the new standard, it will still work fine on Wi-Fi 5. This way, as devices are upgraded and replaced, connections will become faster and the transition will be smooth.

In short, the difference in Wi-Fi-6/E technology is efficiency. Many of the updates are innovative solutions that make Wi-Fi functions better and smarter. Here is a brief analysis of two of these developments and what they enable for end users.

modulation

Wi-Fi-6/E brings a more efficient way to package data as it travels on a single signal, resulting in four times the data rate for a given channel, thus increasing network speeds.

Battery Life

Each version of the Wi-Fi standard improves the battery life of devices using the network. As each version brings faster speeds, data is transferred faster and devices do not consume as much energy. And, Wi-Fi 6/E will further improve battery savings through a feature called target wake time. It has a feature called target wake time. This feature puts the device into a low-power mode. These short sleep periods will increase battery life.

These are just two highlights of the Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E updates. These and many other improvements will ensure that users will not be slowed down by crowded Wi-Fi networks and will get the full experience of gigabit speeds. As the Internet of Things continues to grow, better network management will make a huge difference.