4 reasons why Wi-Fi 6 is better than its predecessors

WLAN is more than an Internet gateway connecting practically all devices ranging from phones, tablets, and industrial computers. WLAN also provides a pathway to the Internet of Things (IoT), which has evolved to allow robust Industrial applications. Growth in IoT devices and latent-sensitive applications like video traffic is slowing down existing wireless networks. More efficient wireless networks are necessary to deal with this diversified traffic.

The main objective of the new Wi-Fi 6 standard is not only to increase Wi-Fi speeds but also to increase the network capacity to handle multiple devices simultaneously. Simply put, Wi-Fi 6 is like adding more lanes to an existing highway, replacing cars with buses, which increases capacity and speed while reducing congestion.

Following are some of the key benefits of adopting Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Better in Handling Multiple Devices

Without a doubt, the most significant advantage of the Wi-Fi 6 is that it can send and receive data to multiple devices simultaneously in a single channel. A single communication channel is divided into as many as nine sub-channels, and these sub-channels are allocated to various devices to communicate simultaneously. This reduces latency and enhances the performance of wireless networks that are crowded with multiple devices.

Improved Power Efficiency

The power consumption of Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices has greatly reduced thanks to the Target Wake Time (TWT) feature. TWT feature lets the connected devices remain inactive for a long time until their turn to transmit. This feature brings several advantages for industrial applications, significantly extending battery life for IoT devices and sensors.

Faster Data Rates

As expected, Wi-Fi 6 delivers faster data transfer speeds, up to 40% higher than Wi-Fi 5. This is achieved with 1024 QAM and greater bandwidth from the 6Ghz band. With 1024 QAM, Wi-Fi 6 improves spectral efficiency by incorporating more data into each transmission. Wi-Fi 6 also reduces and prevents co-channel interference, which enhances network efficiency.

Backward Compatibility

Wi-Fi 5 standard abandoned the 2.4 GHz frequency band. However, it is indisputable that 2.4 GHz is still widely used in a wide range of low bandwidth scenarios. The new Wi-Fi 6 Standard will fully support the 2.4 GHz frequency band to reap the full benefits of this frequency band.

Summary

Wi-Fi 6 offers exciting opportunities to connect many more devices under one roof reliably through wireless. With improved speed, latency, and density of connected devices, Wi-Fi 6 is proving to be the ideal system for indoor wireless connectivity. This is significant for critical IoT devices used in manufacturing automation, health care, automotive, and many other industries. At Winmate, we realize how Wi-Fi 6 opens doors for new use cases to wirelessly collect, analyze, interact, and use real-time information. That's why we incorporate the latest Wi-Fi 6 module in most of our upcoming products, like rugged laptops.

Learn more: IIoT & Edge Computing Solution