Today, Wi-Fi Alliance has announced to dump the traditional 802.11 naming scheme. They will be using now numerical sequence and introduces Wi-Fi 6. The new naming scheme will help industry and Wi-Fi users easily understand the Wi-Fi generation supported by their device.
Wi-Fi technology versions used so far starts with 802.11b and it was launched back in 1999. That last version 802.11ac was introduced in 2014. Considering 802.11b as Wi-Fi 1, the next version, so far known as 802.11ax will now be dubbed Wi-Fi 6.
Here is the list for a clear idea
- Wi-Fi 6 – 802.11ax
- Wi-Fi 5 – 802.11ac
- Wi-Fi 4 – 802.11n
- Wi-Fi 3 – 802.11g
- Wi-Fi 2 – 802.11a
- Wi-Fi 1 – 802.11b
The sequence 1,2,3 looks clearer. Wi-Fi certification 6 will be released next year for the hardware using Wi-Fi 6 technology. Device manufacturers and OS vendors will use the new naming terminology for making It easy to understand for users. For example, if your system is connected to 802.11ac, it will show you Wi-Fi 5 branding.
Major tech companies including WiFi chip manufacturers like Broadcom, Intel, MediaTek, Netgear, and Qualcomm have welcomed the new move.
Even if the announcement has been made, wider adoption of the new update is likely to take some time.
