WiFi is not new, and WiFi 6 is not new, but WiFi 6E is new-ish. This gets to the question of what does the “E” in Wifi 6E stand for?
The “6” in Wi-Fi 6 simply denotes the sixth generation of Wi-Fi standards, making it easier for consumers to understand the progression of technology. Wi-Fi 6 (aka 802.11ax) operates on both the 2.4 GHz (like most old cordless land line phones) and 5 GHz bands (like new cordless land line phones and many other devices).
Wi-Fi 6E extends Wi-Fi 6 into the newly available 6 GHz band so the “E” simply stands for “Extended”. This 6 GHz band offers significantly more unused channels, wider channels, and less interference, leading to higher speeds and lower latency which is a particularly important for applications like virtual reality, gaming, and movie streaming.
To be clear, while both are part of the Wi-Fi 6 family, only Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 6 GHz frequency range.
Why Was 6 GHz Spectrum Band Previously Unavailable?
6 Ghz communications were available previously, but a manufacturer would have to pay a license fee to the government and only access a tiny slice of the 6 Ghz range. This made far too expensive for consumer grade products, and one companies devices would likely be incompatible with other companies because they would operate on different segments of the 6 Ghz range.
Emergency services, utility companies, and satellite services have used the 6 Ghz range (which is actually 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz if you are a bit-head) for decades. But in 2020 the US FCC started the process enabling new “dynamic spectrum sharing” technologies allowing everyone to use the same band and the same time (well, almost the same time). The FCC called this “co-existance”.
WiFi 6E operates under strict rules and leverages the AFC system to find available “white spaces” or channels within the 6 GHz band where its transmissions won’t interfere with existing licensed operations. This allows home use and small businesss Wi-Fi 6E products, to coexist with incumbent WiFi 6 license holders in the valuable 6 GHz spectrum.
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