Announced in early January, WiFi 6E goes beyond the usual 2.4 and 5 GHz bands to invite itself on the 6 GHz band and further improve the performance of wireless networks, at least in countries where the frequency can be freely used.
It is the promise of much higher data rates with reduced latency times but also, in return, a shorter range due to a higher frequency.
The group Broadcom already announces a first compatible chip that can be integrated into smartphones which will then access multi-gigabit speeds. The component Broadcom BCM4389 promises debits up to 2 Gbps with the advantage of reduced energy consumption and a latency time halved thanks to optimized signaling traffic.
In addition to WiFi 6E, Broadcom’s chip is compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and operates a third radio technology low consumption intended to optimize the performance of WiFi and Bluetooth which functions as a precursor permanently scanning the wireless environment to accelerate for example the pairing time in Bluetooth or assess the risks of interference between WiFi networks and refine the settings to get the best performance.
The Broadcom BCM4389 component can be integrated into premium smartphones, virtual / augmented reality headsets, but also in routers and boxes.
With its performance in terms of bit rates and low latency, WiFi 6E is also seen as a ideal complement to 5G and which could divert some of the traffic without weakening the user experience.
As for availability, we still have to wait until the frequencies in the 6 GHz band are released and exploitable, which will be done in the course of 2020 in the United States and elsewhere.
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