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

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.

And unlike 5G, which won't be consumer-ready across North America until at least 2020, telecommunication equipment manufacturers like Cisco have already announced plans to release Wi-Fi 6 access points and routers throughout 2019.

Tempered expectations

As with all new technologies, however, there are a number of caveats to keep in mind before rushing to connect to Wi-Fi 6-enabled access points when they become available.

Just like with 5G, only Wi-Fi 6-enabled devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S10 series of smartphones, will be able to connect to Wi-Fi 6 networks.

Then there's the issue of the actual network speeds available to internet users.

According to a November 2018 network speed report (pdf link) published by mobile analytics company Opensignal, the average Wi-Fi download speed in Canada is approximately 37.1Mbps. That figure is significantly lower than the gigabit speeds already offered through some current Wi-Fi routers and the speeds promised by Wi-Fi 6.

As a result, even if internet users attempt connect to a Wi-Fi 6 router, their actual network speeds will be determined by the plans they've purchased from their internet service providers.

"It depends on whatever the weakest link is and the weakest link with Wi-Fi may well be the broadband connection going to the home," explained Ian Fogg, Opensignal's Vice-President of Analysis.

As a result, Fogg believes that what truly matters is the "real-world experience" of using Wi-Fi 6.

"Is it going to give me a better signal in the locations in the home or … somewhere around the city where I want to use my device," said Fogg.

"And these improvements are necessary, but they're not sufficient. It's got to deliver that real-world benefit."

Incremental updates, subtle improvements

Despite these caveats, 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.

"Wi-Fi 6 will be better probably than 5G, but Wi-Fi 6 is local while 5G is going to offer you a much better than 4G while being mobile," explained Rosenberg.

Rosenberg also pointed out that the Wi-Fi 6 and 5G should be viewed as network technologies evolving in parallel, each solving a different kind of problem.

"If you are at home and you happen to be in a [dead zone] where the 5G coverage is quite bad, you will be very very happy with your Wi-Fi," she said.

Addressing the security elephant in the room

As a result of the security concerns raised around Huawei's efforts to develop and deploy 5G infrastructure, there are some who will likely be skeptical of any new networking technology.

According to Cisco Canada Distinguished Systems Engineer Robert Barton, however, users won't need to be as worried about Wi-Fi 6 as they might be about 5G.

Barton described the major vendors working on 5G -- Huawei, Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson -- as "kind of a club, in a way."

In contrast, multiple vendors from all over the world are building Wi-Fi 6 hardware, with Barton arguing that "it's hard for one company to… have that presence from a security perspective."

Catherine Rosenberg echoed a similar sentiment, adding that the concerns surrounding Huawei and 5G are "more political… than technical."