Wi-Fi is receiving a new update called Wi-Fi 6E, which will expand
the wireless connection by making it better in terms of speed and reliability. Soon,
products with support for Wi-Fi 6E will begin to hit the market, including TVs
and VR devices that are expected to arrive by the middle of the year.
However, it is going to take time for devices to be shipped
with Wi-Fi 6E. It is expected that only 20% of shipping Wi-Fi 6 products will
also support Wi-Fi 6E by the beginning of 2022.
Samsung, that is planning to announce its Galaxy S21 series, is also likely to launch phones with Wi-Fi 6E support using its Snapdragon 888 processor.
The reason why Wi-Fi 6E is a major update to Wi-Fi is
because it relies on a huge expansion of the
wireless airwaves available to consumer devices. Wi-Fi devices operate on two
spectrum bands, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and with Wi-Fi 6E, the total amount of
airwaves used for typical Wi-Fi will be quadrupled, resulting in larger and
higher-speed connections, and less congestion of airwaves.
However, support for this technology will be required from
regulators worldwide. Use of 6GHz airwaves has been approved by the US already
and according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the UK, EU, South Korea, Chile, and UAE have
given a green light for it as well. Similarly, communications regulators in
other countries will have to give their approval too.
