Question

How will wifi 6 and 5G benefit and change data communications and networking systems. What are some examples ?

Answer 1

One of the oft-cited benefits of Wi-Fi 6 is the speed boost over previous iterations. Wi-Fi 6 speeds could reach nearly 10 Gbps, some 40% faster than Wi-Fi 5 speeds. In addition to delivering greater speed, Wi-Fi 6 splits network capacity among a group of devices. That will be immensely important as the number of devices proliferates.

In contrast, 5G wireless is expected to have a theoretical shared maximum speed of 10 to 20 Gbps. So 5G will be faster than Wi-Fi 6.

But Wi-Fi 6 and 5G speeds will depend on a variety of factors, so real-world application won’t necessarily match these theoretical maximums. Factors include the number of devices connecting to a single 5G cell and the distance and obstructions between a 5G-connected device and the 5G tower. Ultimately, if a Wi-Fi 6 deployment is designed and built properly, each individual wireless connection will likely have far greater throughput and lower latency than 5G alternatives.

With proper deployment, another benefit of Wi-Fi 6 is that it’s easier to guarantee near wall-to-wall in-building coverage compared with 5G. This is largely because of the improvements in Wi-Fi 6’s multiple in/multiple out (MIMO) technology. As mentioned, Wi-Fi 6 also improves network capacity at the same time that wireless device concentration increases.

Next, consider that most companies will use 5G from a wireless carrier. Thus, a key difference between Wi-Fi 6 and 5G is that Wi-Fi is a wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, while 5G is cellular broadband. With 5G, connectivity to applications, data and services that reside within a corporate LAN will have to remotely access apps and data across the Internet through a secure channel such as a remote access VPN tunnel. Alternatively, since Wi-Fi 6 is designed to be part of a secure corporate LAN, it sits behind edge security equipment, protecting it from untrusted networks.

Wi-Fi devices are more prevalent compared with 5G-ready devices – or even 4G- and 3G-compatible ones. While some of the newest smartphones now ship with 5G-capable chips (as well as Wi-Fi 6), most other wireless computing devices such as laptops and smart devices are likely to have Wi-Fi-only connection capabilities. Given the prevalence of Wi-Fi 6-compatible devices and the timeline for 5G infrastructure, Wi-Fi 6 may have a faster adoption curve.

Wireless devices themselves also tend to chew through far less battery life when connected to Wi-Fi as opposed to 5G. Again, the amount of battery required to connect and to send/receive data will vary greatly based on various factors. Battery efficiency is especially good with Wi-Fi 6, thanks to a feature implemented within it called target wake time (TWT).

Last, and often most important, is cost. As with previous carrier technologies, a 5G subscription is significantly more expensive compared with a typical Wi-Fi 6 deployment lifecycle. This applies for the Internet of Things-(IoT)-connected world we now live in. It’s far more cost-effective for a business to offer Wi-Fi in the workplace as opposed to using 5G carrier networks.