The next generation of WiFi, the WiFi 6E is here. While the 5Ghz wireless standard is in the mainstream for quite a while now, with the latest WiFi 6E, users will now get to experience the 6GHz wireless spectrum. This simply means you will come across faster network speed, much lower latency, and stable internet performance than the previous generation of Wifi.
Though upgrading to WiFi 6E can be quite a bit of a hassle for now as you will need a compatible router and devices for experiencing the new airwaves. For now, let’s just take a birds-eye-view to see what the latest version of WiFi has to offer.
What’s New?
Upon the Federal Communications Commission’s unanimous announcement of opening up the 6GHz band for unlicensed use, more airwaves are now available for routers to broadcast signals. And that sure brought along plenty of outstanding network perks for users to enjoy.
Naturally, a More, contagious spectrum means improved network performance at up to Gigabit level speeds. Also, as the channels are far wider, latencies can be brought down by significant proportion. And lastly, less network interference is enabling wifi usage to a high capacity of users.
Benefits
Now, this sure is leading towards a handful of benefits that we have been craving for quite a while now. First of all, you, your family members, and your neighbors will not have to compete for limited bandwidths on the same channel. Everyone can have their fair share of bandwidth due to wider channels now being available on the WiFi6E transmission. The leap from 5Ghz to 6Ghz although might not sound like a big deal, but it sure is. This simple leap is unlocking the possibility of experiencing quadruple amount airwaves that brings along 14 Additional 8MHz channels and 7 Additional 160MHz channels for compatible devices and routers. The result? Significantly low network interference.
The impact of this in your everyday life will be such that you won’t have any problem staying connected to your Zoom meetings or experiencing any kind of buffer in your favorite Netflix shows.
Drawbacks
Now there are some minor setbacks as it has always been with every new technology. Although Wifi 6E’s short wavelength is ideal for fast data transfer, it doesn’t do much good in long-distance traveling. Therefore, the network speed suffers a great deal of interference from physical barriers such as floors or walls. There is also the factor of network interference as there are still some licensed 6GHz network users. Interference won’t be a problem in your home or office, but outdoors, such as in your backyard, Wifi will revert back to 5GHz or 2.4GHz channel.
Should You Make the Upgrade?
Regardless of these drawbacks, WiFi 6E is indeed a must-have technology in the future. Tech giants have already begun manufacturing compatible products as countries like the US, Korea, and Brazil have opened up their 6GHz gateway. But the network is limited to these countries only as other countries are yet to open up theirs. If you belong to countries outside of the ones we have mentioned, you have to wait.
Final Verdict
Though the WiFi 6E devices are backward compatible, which means they can still be used with previous versions of WiFi. So getting a WiFI 6E enabled device and becoming an early adopter can also be a good decision. With that being said, if you are confused about whether to upgrade to WiFi6E right now, our short answer for you is, now is not the best time. And if you are thinking about getting a new WiFi router to future proof your home network without caring much about the price tag, then we suggest getting a WiFi6E enabled model. And, that’s pretty much information we could put forth for the WiFI6E. Leave a comment below for any inquiries.