Wi-Fi 6 has been on the horizon for a while now, and while we've already seen some products that support it, the launch of the official Wi-Fi 6 certification is finally here.
Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, has been around for a little while now in high-end networking equipment, and is even supported by default on the latest Intel Ice Lake processors. But, with the Wi-Fi Alliance's new certification program now open, hardware manufacturers from all over the world can submit their products to be certified for Wi-Fi 6.
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This probably doesn't mean a lot to most people right away, but we promise that this is a big deal. This certification program being open will mean that we'll start to see many more Wi-Fi 6-compatible devices appearing on the market, that will hopefully be cheaper than the $700 (£749, around AU$1,300) Netgear Orbi revealed at IFA 2019.
Wi-Fi 6 not only boosts speeds up to 37%, but its much better at handling multiple devices at the same time – you won't have to worry about tying up your roommate's internet when binging Netflix. Wireless routers that use Wi-Fi 6 are also much more secure, which is critically important in these precarious times.
So, with all of these benefits, finally getting a deluge of Wi-Fi 6 routers is undoubtedly good news. And, now that the Wi-Fi 6 certification is out, we're sure that plenty of routers and supporting devices will pop up in no time.
There are already plenty of devices that support the new standard, including the new iPhone 11 lineup and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus – not to mention every laptop that will be packing Intel Ice Lake processors. The internet is about to get a lot faster, easier to use and more secure, thanks to Wi-Fi 6.
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Via CNET
