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The IEEE 802.11ax draft standard promises improved range, throughput and resiliency.
Wi-Fi technology has evolved during the past 20 years, with earlier generations focusing on increasing data rates and speed. However, Wi-Fi 6, also known as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax, emphasizes efficiency and performance. It aims to improve the use of the existing radio frequency medium and handle client density more efficiently. Wi-Fi 6 also features a client power-saving mechanism that schedules wake times to improve battery life. Over the years, faster speeds and higher data rates have been the main focus, but the actual throughput and implementation of multiuser technology are more important.
The IEEE is hard at work on the 802.11ax standard and released it publicly in 2019. You can read the specifications on the IEEE website. National Instruments’ 802.11ax whitepaper is also worth a read.
Wi-Fi 6, also known as the next-generation 802.11ax, is a recent step in the journey of nonstop innovation. 802.11ax, also known as high-efficiency wireless (HEW), is an amendment of the IEEE that defines the modifications to the previous version (802.11) and the improved high-efficiency operation in frequency bands between 1GHz and 6GHz. There are many improvements and features in 802.11ax, including greater flexibility, efficiency and scalability, which allow for higher speed and capacity.
Perhaps your question at this point is, “Why should I care about 802.11.ax?” To answer that question, let’s consider the chief benefits that 802.11ax brings to the table.
Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology allows a wireless access point (AP) to work with up to four separate data streams simultaneously. 802.11ax brings MIMO with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) to the table. What that means is that 802.11ax routers can broadcast four MIMO spatial streams, giving you four times the maximum theoretical bandwidth per stream.
Assuming a single 802.11ax stream of 3.5 Gbps and multiplying that by four, you’ll get a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 14 Gbps. That’s fast, but there are always mitigating factors, such as which channel width on the 5GHz band the wireless AP uses.
Why does anybody need that much network speed? Well, imagine performing any of these actions with nearly zero lag:
Given the cost of some high-end Wi-Fi hardware, it’s good news that 802.11ax will be backward-compatible with the existing ― and in some cases older ― 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards.
The Wi-Fi standards moved to the 5GHz band to reduce contention with 2.4GHz household appliances. 802.11ax does indeed operate on the 5GHz band, but the IEEE designed it specifically for high resiliency. The informal title of the 802.11ax specification is HEW.
The IEEE is architecting 802.11ax to provide steady, resilient performance even in Wi-Fi-dense areas. For example, think of how many wireless local area networks (WLANs) compete on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands in a typical high-rise apartment building. [Related article: What Is VoIP? ]
As of this writing, we know very little about the effective indoor and outdoor range supported by 802.11ax. For comparison, 802.11n ― the current-generation Wi-Fi standard ― has an approximate indoor range of 70 meters, or 230 feet. Its approximate outdoor range is 240 meters, or 820 feet. [Learn what to look for in an internet service provider.]
The standard 802.11ax brings with it a wide range of new features, including a much-needed increase in the standard quality of service, which is an industry term for how Wi-Fi resources are used. Here are some of the new and improved features you’ll see with the standard 802.11ax:
IEEE 802.11ax, certified in 2020, has become the standard for WLAN technology, offering better performance, coverage and battery life than its predecessor. IEEE 802.11ax is slowly entering the commercial market, and the addition of Wi-Fi 6E will be the first amendment to support the new 6 GHz radio spectrum band. However, IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance are already planning for the future IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7). Here are the most significant improvements for Wi-Fi 7: