17/02/2023
WiFi 6 VS WiFi 6E
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1. Frequency Spectrum: Wi-Fi 6 operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, while Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6 GHz frequency band, which is a new unlicensed band specifically allocated for Wi-Fi by regulatory agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. This new spectrum provides significantly more bandwidth, less interference, and more capacity for high-bandwidth applications.
2. Channel Width: Wi-Fi 6 supports wider channels of up to 160 MHz, which allows for higher data rates, but can also create more interference between channels. Wi-Fi 6E adds more available spectrum, so it can support even wider channels of up to 160 MHz or 320 MHz, without creating interference.
2. Modulation: Wi-Fi 6E supports the same modulation schemes as Wi-Fi 6, such as 1024-QAM, which allows for higher data rates by increasing the number of bits per symbol. However, Wi-Fi 6E can take advantage of the wider channels and cleaner spectrum to use more aggressive modulation schemes, like 4096-QAM, which can provide even higher data rates, but require cleaner channels and stronger signals.
3. Latency: Wi-Fi 6E supports the same features as Wi-Fi 6 to reduce latency, such as Target Wake Time (TWT) and Basic Service Set (BSS) Coloring, but the additional spectrum and wider channels can further reduce latency by providing more capacity and less interference.
4. Devices: Wi-Fi 6E requires new hardware to take advantage of the additional spectrum, so older devices that only support Wi-Fi 6 or earlier standards won't be able to use the 6 GHz band. However, Wi-Fi 6E devices are backward compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and earlier standards, so they can still communicate with older devices in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
