The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced plans to simplify the naming of the wireless LAN technologies it manages. Starting with the next standards, 802.11ax will be known as Wi-Fi 6.
Wi-Fi 6 is the new designation for products and networks that support next-generation WiFi based on 802.11ax technology, the organization announced this week.
About the new nomenclatures
The Wi-Fi Alliance says the new naming system can be used by, among others, product vendors to indicate what WiFi technology a device supports, operating system vendors to identify the WiFi connection generation between a device and a network, and service providers who can more easily illustrate to customers the capabilities of a WiFi network.
"For nearly two decades, WiFi users have had to review technical naming conventions to determine if their devices are compatible with the latest version of WiFi," says Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, in a statement. . »
Wi-Fi Alliance is pleased to introduce Wi-Fi 6 and introduce a new naming scheme to help Wi-Fi and industry users easily understand the generation of Wi-Fi that their device or connection supports.
The generational naming convention also extends to older WiFi generations:
- Wi-Fi 5 to identify 802.11ac compliant devices
- Wi-Fi 4 to identify 802.11n compatible devices
The Wi-Fi Alliance said it expects the generational terminology to be widely adopted throughout the Wi-Fi ecosystem.
Wi-Fi 6 networks allow for lower battery consumption in Wi-Fi 6 devices , making it a solid choice for any environment, including smart home and IoT uses.
The key benefits of Wi-Fi 6 technology include:
- Higher data rates
- Greater capacity
- Good performance in dense environments.
- Improved power efficiency
About Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6 provides the foundation for a host of existing and emerging uses , from streaming ultra-high-definition movies at home or on the go.
Wi-Fi 6 is based on the IEEE 802.11ax standard, which enables next-generation Wi-Fi connectivity.
This new Wi-Fi 6 model will provide the capacity, coverage and performance required by users, even in dense environments such as stadiums and other public places.
Wi-Fi 6 will operate more efficiently on the 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands already used by Wi-Fi 5 , formerly 802.11ac, and promises speeds of up to 11 Gbps . In fact, the main purpose of 802.11ax will be to optimize connection quality in very dense environments.
To mission critical business applications that require high bandwidth and low latency to stay connected and productive while traversing large, congested networks at airports and train stations.
Consequently, the Alliance christens the 802.11ac standard in Wi-Fi 5, 802.11n becomes Wi-Fi 4.
As the Wi-Fi Alliance states, users of WLAN devices can easily identify the standard their devices support and which standard the respective WLAN offers.
The new name should also be a simplification for equipment vendors and vendors to name their equipment and services.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects manufacturers to adopt and widely use the new naming system.
For nearly two decades, users have been forced to ramble through the technical naming convention, said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance in the announcement.
“Consumers love WiFi: almost every device connected to the Internet has it, and more than 80 percent of all wireless traffic bypasses it. The sixth generation of Wi-Fi, 802.11ax, is the most advanced, with faster speeds, greater capacity and coverage, and it will make the user experience even more pleasant, "says Vijay Nagarajan, senior director of marketing.
The new term has ended, says the president. The new scheme is expected to start with Wi-Fi 6 certification in 2019.