On April 23rd, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced rule changes to allow for 1200Mhz of spectrum in the 6GHz band available for unlicensed use. According to the FCC, “Wi-Fi 6 will be more than 2.5x faster than the current Wi-Fi standard and increases the amount of spectrum by almost a factor of five” (Meek, 2020). The new spectrum just about quadruples the amount of space available for devices, so it translates to more bandwidth and a lot less interference (Kastrenakes, 2020). This kind of improvement comes at a critical time. The Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, says: “For many of us, Wi-Fi has helped keep us connected to our families and friends, as well as the outside world. It enables children to take part
in distance learning while their parents participate in video conferences for work. It allows Americans with medical issues to have virtual doctor’s appointments while those they live with stream Tiger King on Netflix”. With this announcement, the first wave of devices using 6GHz Wi-Fi is expected roll out in the first quarter of 2020, with deployment most likely to start in early 2021 when the Wi-Fi Alliances begins offering certifications for Wi-Fi 6E devices.
