The Wi-Fi Alliance has introduced the certification program for Wi-Fi 6-supported devices, with an expected start date slated for the third quarter.
The program is for devices based on IEEE 802.11ax technology, which the Wi-Fi Alliance in October designated as Wi-Fi 6 in an effort to simplify the naming scheme for different generations of Wi-Fi technology and make it more consumer friendly.
The program, Wi-Fi Certified 6, is a means of ensuring that various devices built on the next-gen Wi-Fi technology meet industry standards for interoperability and security. The Alliance says the program will deliver capacity, coverage and performance needed by users for things like streaming UHD movies and even mission-critical business applications.
Wi-Fi Certified 6 supports advanced capabilities including higher data rates and greater network capacity using technologies like MU-MIMO, transmit beamforming, and 1024-QUAM. Capabilities also include enhanced performance in congested environments and better power efficiency leveraging Target wake time (TWT) to improve battery life.
“Wi-Fi continues to be a predominant technology for accessing the internet, with a strong history of success,” said Andrew Zignani, senior research analyst at ABI Research, in a statement. “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 will further escalate Wi-Fi’s role, with more than one billion Wi-Fi 6 chipsets expected to be shipped annually in 2022.”
In Wi-Fi 6-related news, Netgear today announced the expansion of its home mesh networking product portfolio to include new offerings built on Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 6 technology. Commercial availability is expected later this year.
Netgear is the latest to tap Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 6 Networking platform, other companies include Ruckus, Huawei, EnGenius, Charter, NEC, H3C, Calix and KT.