Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6
Waves originating from bottom left. 6 ball in the upper right.
Logo used by the Wi-Fi Alliance for Wi-Fi 6
Introduced1 September 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-01)
Compatible hardwarePersonal computers, gaming consoles, smart devices, televisions, printers, security cameras
Wi-Fi generations
Generation IEEE
standard 		Adopted Maximum
link rate
(Mb/s) 		Radio
frequency
(GHz)
(Wi-Fi 0*) 802.11 1997 1–2 2.4
(Wi-Fi 1*) 802.11b 1999 1–11 2.4
(Wi-Fi 2*) 802.11a 1999 6–54 5
(Wi-Fi 3*) 802.11g 2003 2.4
Wi-Fi 4 802.11n 2009 6.5–600 2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac 2013 6.5–6933 5[a]
Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2021 0.4–9608[1] 2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 6E 2.4, 5, 6[b]
Wi-Fi 7 802.11be exp. 2024 0.4–23,059 2.4, 5, 6[2]
Wi-Fi 8 802.11bn exp. 2028[3] 100,000[4] 2.4, 5, 6[5]
*Wi‑Fi 0, 1, 2, and 3 are named by retroactive inference.
They do not exist in the official nomenclature.[6][7][8]

Wi-Fi 6, or IEEE 802.11ax, is an IEEE standard from the Wi-Fi Alliance, for wireless networks (WLANs). It operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands,[9] with an extended version, Wi-Fi 6E, that adds the 6 GHz band.[10] It is an upgrade from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), with improvements for better performance in crowded places. Wi-Fi 6 covers frequencies in license-exempt bands between 1 and 7.125 GHz, including the commonly used 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, as well as the broader 6 GHz band.[11]

This standard aims to boost data speed (throughput-per-area[c]) in crowded places like offices and malls. Though the nominal data rate is only 37%[12] better than 802.11ac, the total network speed increases by 300%,[13] making it more efficient and reducing latency by 75%.[14] The quadrupling of overall throughput is made possible by a higher spectral efficiency.

802.11ax Wi-Fi has a main feature called OFDMA, similar to how cell technology works with Wi-Fi.[12] This brings better spectrum use, improved power control to avoid interference, and enhancements like 1024‑QAM, MIMO and MU-MIMO for faster speeds. There are also reliability improvements such as lower power consumption and security protocols like Target Wake Time and WPA3.

The 802.11ax standard was approved on September 1, 2020, with Draft 8 getting 95% approval. Subsequently, on February 1, 2021, the standard received official endorsement from the IEEE Standards Board.[15]


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  1. ^ "MCS table (updated with 80211ax data rates)". semfionetworks.com.
  2. ^ "Understanding Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7". wiisfi.com.
  3. ^ Reshef, Ehud; Cordeiro, Carlos (2023). "Future Directions for Wi-Fi 8 and Beyond". IEEE Communications Magazine. 60 (10). IEEE. doi:10.1109/MCOM.003.2200037. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  4. ^ "What is Wi-Fi 8?". everythingrf.com. March 25, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Giordano, Lorenzo; Geraci, Giovanni; Carrascosa, Marc; Bellalta, Boris (November 21, 2023). "What Will Wi-Fi 8 Be? A Primer on IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability". arXiv:2303.10442.
  6. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2018-10-03). "Wi-Fi Now Has Version Numbers, and Wi-Fi 6 Comes Out Next Year". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  7. ^ Phillips, Gavin (18 January 2021). "The Most Common Wi-Fi Standards and Types, Explained". MUO - Make Use Of. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Wi-Fi Generation Numbering". ElectronicsNotes. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Generational Wi-Fi User Guide" (PDF). Wi-Fi Alliance. October 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Wi-Fi 6E expands Wi-Fi into 6 GHz" (PDF). Wi-Fi Alliance. January 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  11. ^ "FCC Opens 6 GHz Band to Wi-Fi and Other Unlicensed Uses". www.fcc.gov. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Khorov, Evgeny; Kiryanov, Anton; Lyakhov, Andrey; Bianchi, Giuseppe (2019). "A Tutorial on IEEE 802.11ax High Efficiency WLANs". IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials. 21 (1): 197–216. doi:10.1109/COMST.2018.2871099.
  13. ^ Aboul-Magd, Osama (17 March 2014). "802.11 HEW SG Proposed PAR" (DOCX). IEEE. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  14. ^ Goodwins, Rupert (3 October 2018). "Next-generation 802.11ax wi-fi: Dense, fast, delayed". ZDNet. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  15. ^ "IEEE 802.11, The Working Group Setting the Standards for Wireless LANs". www.ieee802.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.