Wi-Fi Alliance has just announced WiFi 6 which is not only an upgrade on the last standard but also on the naming convention. This new naming system identifies Wi-Fi generations by a numerical sequence which correspond to major advancements in Wi-Fi.

This naming approach adopted by Wi-Fi Alliance makes it easier for users to understand the designation for both the Wi-Fi technology supported by their device and as well as for the technology used in the connection the device makes with a Wi-Fi network. The terminology may also be used to refer to previous Wi-Fi generations, such as 802.11n or 802.11ac. The numerical sequence

  • Wi-Fi 6 to identify devices that support 802.11ax technology
  • Wi-Fi 5 to identify devices that support 802.11ac technology
  • Wi-Fi 4 to identify devices that support 802.11n technology
WiFi Alliance

So what is WiFi 6?

Well, it’s a considerable upgrade on WiFi 5 (the 803.11n technology) offering higher data rates, capacity and improved performance in people-dense environments.

 “For nearly two decades, Wi-Fi users have had to sort through technical naming conventions to determine if their devices support the latest Wi-Fi,”

said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance.

Wi-Fi Alliance is excited to introduce Wi-Fi 6, and present a new naming scheme to help industry and Wi-Fi users easily understand the Wi-Fi generation supported by their device or connection,” he added.