Wi-Fi 6E is the latest standard in wireless technology, but due to the lack of components, it’s not surprising if you never upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6E router or other supported technology and instead jump straight to next-generation Wi-Fi. fi 7.
Component shortages that have hampered the availability of everything from graphics cards to Chromebooks, display panels and Wi-Fi integrated circuits have impacted the availability and adoption of Wi-6E, a telecoms analyst at Dell’Oro Group said in a statement Thursday. It is reported by Tom’s Hardware on Saturday.
“While manufacturers released Wi-Fi 6E products in mid-2021, the products are either unavailable or very limited,” company founder and CEO Tam Dell’Oro said in a statement. that Wi-Fi supplies are “significantly limited due to supply issues”, with the exception of China.
This does not mean that Wi-Fi 6E products cannot be found. Some Android smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 6, support Wi-Fi 6E, as do high-end motherboards for PC builders and even some laptops. But a quick search for Wi-Fi 6E routers reveals fewer and more expensive options compared to Wi-Fi 6 options.
Dell’Oro noted that enterprises are often the first to adopt new generations of technology, but system integrators report that enterprises are showing more interest in Wi-Fi 6 than in the newer version. So when it comes to technology providers prioritizing resources, Wi-Fi 6 gets a bigger piece of the pie.
“Supply constraints have prompted manufacturers to focus on making popular models affordable by redesigning those models with more affordable components,”Dell’Oro said.
Wi-Fi 6E differs from Wi-Fi 6 in that it can use the 6 GHz band, adding 14 more 80 MHz channels and seven additional 160 MHz channels. These updates help combat congestion and provide high speed for applications such as HD video streaming.
Supply constraints affecting Wi-Fi 6E products won’t ease until the end of this year, according to the unnamed “ecosystem players”cited by the analyst. And Wi-Fi 7 offerings, especially aimed at businesses, could be available as early as next year.
“With Wi-Fi 7 products shipping as early as 2023, we predict users will bypass 6E,”Dell’Oro said.
In January, Wi-Fi chip maker MediaTek began a live demo of Wi-Fi 7. The next-generation technology is expected to support a maximum theoretical throughput of at least 30Gbps, compared to Wi-Fi 6 and 6E’s 9.6Gbps, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, which draws up the specification. After conducting its live demos, MediaTek said it expects products to be released in 2023.
In addition to limited supplies, federal regulations are also reportedly slowing Wi-Fi 6E adoption. “In addition to supply constraints hindering the speed of Wi-Fi 6E adoption, we have learned that compliance with 6GHz band regulations slows down the deployment process,” Dell’Oro explained. “Compliance processes are yet to be standardized and are easy to implement.”