Back in 2018, Wi-Fi Alliance officially introduced Wi-Fi 6. This didn’t just the brought the new Wi-Fi standard, but also a new naming scheme that is easy to understand. Before Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi versions were known as 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11a, and 802.11b. Can you understand the hierarchy? Wi-Fi 6 aimed to make it clear for end-users to understand if they are using newer or older Wi-Fi standards on their device.
Wi-Fi 6 was released in 2019 and we started getting devices supporting Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 promised improved a better experience and better performance for advanced applications such as 4K or 8K video streaming. Key things include improved power efficiency, higher data rates, increased capacity, and better performance even with many connected devices. Wi-Fi 6 operated between the 1 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.
A few months later, Wi-Fi Alliance also introduced Wi-Fi 6E. Now we also see a few smartphone SoCs coming with Wi-Fi 6E support. So, several people ask how Wi-Fi 6E is different from Wi-Fi 6.
What is Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6E is basically Wi-Fi 6 Extended. It adds support for a 6Hz frequency band. So, Wi-Fi 6E devices can leverage wider channels. Wi-Fi 6E brings 14 additional 80 MHz channels and 7 additional 160 MHz channels. These won’t overlap with each other, which means less congestion. The new spectrum quadruples the amount of space available for routers and other devices.
Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 6E
As I said, Wi-Fi 6e is the extended Wi-Fi 6 that brings support for the 6GHz spectrum. WI-Fi 6 primarily works on two bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Now we have a third band of 6GHz. 2.4GHz travels farther but 6GHz delivers a faster data rate. Technically, Wi-Fi 6E has the same speed as Wi-Fi 6. You will still get a max of 9.6 Gbps at 6GHz Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6E will also be compatible with Wi-Fi 6, 5, 4, and earlier versions
You need a router and device supporting Wi-Fi 6e to use the network at 6GHz. The primary benefit of 6GHz Wi-Fi will be no spectrum interference because most people still use 2.4GHz routers.
| Feature | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 |
|---|---|---|
| IEEE Standard | IEEE 802.11ax (extended to include 6 GHz band) | IEEE 802.11ax |
| Frequency Bands | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz |
| Maximum Speed | 9.6 Gbps (on a 160 MHz channel) | 9.6 Gbps (on a 160 MHz channel) |
| Channel Width | Up to 160 MHz (in 5 GHz band), up to 320 MHz (6 GHz band) | Up to 160 MHz |
| Spatial Streams | Up to 8 spatial streams | Up to 8 spatial streams |
| Modulation | 1024-QAM | 1024-QAM |
| MU-MIMO | Up to 8 simultaneous users with MU-MIMO | Up to 8 simultaneous users with MU-MIMO |
| OFDMA | Up to 37 subcarriers per channel (in 5 GHz band), up to 74 subcarriers per channel (6 GHz band) | Up to 37 subcarriers per channel |
| Security | WPA3 | WPA3 |
Wi-Fi 6E is now available on smartphones, and recently announced mobile platforms including Snapdragon 888, Snapdragon 970, and Exynos 2100 bring Wi-Fi 6E. By the end of 2021, we will have several devices and routers supporting Wi-Fi 6E.
If you were looking for WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E to understand how WiFi 6E is better than WiFi 6, now you have the answer.
