Next-generation Wi-Fi promises a good connection, even in airports

Monday, May 6, 2019

Catherine Rosenberg
While the world impatiently awaits the dawn of the 5G era, equipment manufacturers and network operators are slowly drawing attention to another new-and-improved wireless standard: Wi-Fi 6.

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance -- the non-profit organization that acts as the gatekeeper for the Wi-Fi brand -- Wi-Fi 6 won't just herald improved network speeds.

The new standard will also usher in improved stability when multiple devices attempt to connect to the same access point.

This means that students in crowded lecture halls, travellers waiting in busy airports and even sports fans congregating in packed arenas will all be able to use their devices without worrying about poor reception and slow service.

University of Waterloo electrical and computer engineering professor Catherine Rosenberg believes that end users will notice differences between Wi-Fi 6 and other next-generation network technologies like 5G.

Rosenberg told Spark host Nora Young that end users will likely notice a similar difference between Wi-Fi 6 and 5G as they do with current Wi-Fi standards and 4G networks.

Read the full article in CBC Radio-Canada.