Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E: all you need to know

As the Wi-Fi’s popularity has grown over the years, so too have the demands placed on it. Cloud-based applications like HD video, streaming or bulk file distribution are adding significant strain to the already stretched-thin network bandwidth – especially now, in the era of remote and mobile work.

Bandwidth describes data transfer rate, indicating the maximum capacity of a communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time. Contrary to a common misconception, bandwidth is not exactly a measure of network speed. If anything, it can be compared to the volume of water that can flow through a pipe. The wider the pipe's diameter, the more water can flow through it at one time.

That being said, the problem with bandwidth is not with one user using a service, but rather hundreds or even thousands of users using the service at the very same time. Considering high-bandwidth usage across many more devices than ever before, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels in a traditional Wi-Fi network can get real crowded, real fast!

Increasing bandwidth could help, but ultimately the problem facing current networks is space. There are simply too many devices for the number of channels available to Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 to handle, resulting in traffic jams that slow down the network for everyone, costing your organization precious time and money.

That is what the next generation of the technology, Wi-Fi 6E, is all about: breaking the limits of space available for users and applications!

In short, Wi-Fi 6E offers the features and functionality of Wi-Fi 6 – including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates – extended into the 6 GHz band. Not only is the 6 GHz band open for the first time ever, but the EU opened 500 MHz of frequency bandwidth. It means that 24 new 20 MHz channels, 12 new 40 MHz channels, and six new 80 MHz channels are available for Wi-Fi 6E communications in Europe!

This means your organization not only can move critical operations to a pristine, high-throughput band, but also off-load the existing wireless network traffic using a broader distribution. In some cases this is critical: healthcare and manufacturing operations, for example, still heavily rely on specialized devices that operate at 2.4 GHz.

Driving efficiencies without compromising continuity of service is one thing, but the other important benefit of the backwards compatibility is that it protects your capital expenditure. While the adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and 6E will inevitably lead to the introduction of new compatible devices, legacy devices will still be able to run on your Wi-Fi 6 access points, so your previous investments in applications or devices that rely on powerful, reliable Wi-Fi connections won’t go to waste!

In traditional networks, resolving issues is usually quite time-consuming and costly, as it requires dispatching skilled IT personnel from site-to-site. Then there’s the risk of a human error. According to Gartner, 75% of processes that result in error can be avoided with automation. Would you like to resolve problems with the Wi-Fi quicker and more efficiently?

This hands-on Extreme Live Demo session will provide you with actionable insights you can use to make the most out of your Wi-Fi investment!