CV_Spring_2021

power efficiency. Wi-Fi certified 6 also provides the foundation for a host of current and emerging uses from streaming ultra-high-definition movies to mission-critical business applica- tions requiring high bandwidth and low latency to staying connected and productive while traversing large, congested networks in airports and train stations. Devices Revealed During the annual Consumer Electronics Show in mid-January, several Wi-Fi 6E devices were unveiled, such as the TP-Link routers. Intel announced an update to its vPro platform, and MediaTek received FCC certification, both bringing Wi-Fi 6E to laptop computers. And at its annual Unpacked event in January, Samsung introduced the world’s first Wi-Fi 6E phone: The Galaxy S21 Ultra. With Wi-Fi 6E, the smartphone becomes a smart hub or smart computing platform, allowing consumers to connect to peripheral devices such as AR/VR glasses, smart speakers, TVs and the ever- growing number of home networking devices, without any decrease in performance, said Samsung. Gamers will be delighted in gaming without glitches or delays. Wi-Fi 6E will be a workhorse for powering 5G services, making it ideal for smartphones, laptops, AR and VR devices, and future IoT innovations. And in a video-first world, Wi-Fi 6E empowers consumers with a frequency band that delivers multi-gigabit speeds. A Wi-Fi 6E smartphone will enable ultra-high-definition video streaming and multiparty video conferencing, making working and playing from home a breeze, proponents argue. The Need for Speed What about speeds? According to the Alliance, speed technically is the same as 5GHz. However, the new airwaves should help bump velocity, because the limited spectrum available at 5GHz means Wi-Fi signals often are not as large as they could be with 6GHz. However, speeds will continue to be limited by what the internet provider offers. Wi-Fi 6E routers are available now, and higher-end smartphones likely will be the first consumer devices to adopt them. To know if a device is equipped, a “Wi-Fi 6” label will be on the box. This means the device still is operat- ing on the same spectrum. “Wi-Fi 6E” labels will be seen later in the year, and that will tell you if the device can extend into the 6GHz band. Airwaves are overseen country by country. While the FCC is opening up 6GHz in the United States, Europeans must wait on individual countries and the European Commission to do the same. Europe is not the only global region that is lagging, which means international adoption could be slowed. Perhaps the single biggest drawback of 6GHz wireless spectrum is that it uses shorter wavelengths. While short wavelengths are great for fast data transfers, they have a harder time traveling long distances and can suffer interference from thick walls or floors in a building. o 31 May 2021 | CHANNEL V ISION