6 Things you should know about 6GHz Wi-Fi | HT Tech

6 Things you should know about 6GHz Wi-Fi

The new 6GHz Wi-Fi will consume low power and offer low latency. Simply said, lower network delays.

By: HT CORRESPONDENT
| Updated on: Apr 25 2020, 10:01 IST
6GHz Wi-Fi will give Wi-Fi routers more space to transmit signals.
6GHz Wi-Fi will give Wi-Fi routers more space to transmit signals. (Pixabay)
6GHz Wi-Fi will give Wi-Fi routers more space to transmit signals.
6GHz Wi-Fi will give Wi-Fi routers more space to transmit signals. (Pixabay)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), earlier this week, adopted a proposal that essentially opens up the 6GHz spectrum for unlicensed use. This move frees up 1,200MHz space, which can then be used for boosting home Wi-Fi and other unlicensed Wi-Fi connections.

"To accommodate that increase in Wi-Fi demand, the FCC is aiming to increase the supply of Wi-Fi spectrum with our boldest initiative yet: making the entire 6 GHz band available for unlicensed use. By doing this, we would effectively increase the amount of spectrum available for Wi-Fi almost by a factor of five. This would be a huge benefit to consumers and innovators across the nation," FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

The move by the organisation was welcomed by all tech companies and tech organisations alike. "By making 6 GHz available for unlicensed use, the FCC has secured the future of Wi-Fi. 6 GHz access is a seminal development for connectivity and provides Wi-Fi more capacity to deliver groundbreaking use cases and to unlock novel new Wi-Fi applications," Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance said in a statement.

"Great news from the @FCC today. Opening the 6GHz band will help increase wireless innovation and enable Americans to better connect to remote work, distance learning, telehealth and more," wrote Google.

 

"Huge announcement from @AjitPaiFCC on the plan to make 1200 MHz of new spectrum available across 6GHz for #WiFi. This is clearly one the most important wireless announcements in a long time and will redefine the way we understand and use #WiFi and it will be a booster for AR\VR," Facebook's director of wireless technologies, Bruno Cendon tweeted.

 

As the buzz around the 6GHz Wi-Fi increases, one obvious question that comes to mind is what is 6GHz Wi-Fi and what does it do?

So, here is a list of six things that will answer all your questions on the 6GHz Wi-Fi:

-- Modern Wi-Fi systems use 2.4GHz and 5GHz brands for transmitting airwaves for anyone to use. Now, a third 6GHz band will be joining the group. This additional bandwidth will give Wi-Fi routers more space to transmit signals.

ALSO READ: Is your home Wi-Fi too slow? Here's what you can do to boost speeds while you work from home

-- Additional bandwidth also means that your home Wi-Fi, once upgraded, won't slow down as much when more devices join in the network.

-- The 6GHz Wi-Fi is also going to be a lot faster than the existing Wi-Fi systems. While the 5GHz Wi-Fi offers a top speed of around 6Gbps, the 6GHz Wi-Fi will offer speeds of up to 9.6Gbps, which is a lot faster than the former. That said, these are top speeds and it is highly unlikely that users will get to use them in their homes.

-- The 6GHz Wi-Fi will also consume low power and offer low latency. Simply said, lower network delays.

-- The caveat is that users will have to buy new routers to use this additional bandwidth.

-- FCC is a US government body and so the 6GHz Wi-Fi will be available only in the US. As far as India is concerned, there is no word on when this technology will make its way to Indian homes.

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 25 Apr, 10:01 IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS