In preparation for the release of IEEE 802.11ax WiFi technology, dubbed WiFi 6, later this year, the Wireless Broadband Alliance has released a white paper that provides deployment guidelines for a number of possible scenarios utilizing WiFi 6 technology. The white paper is available for download at https://wballiance.com/resource/.
The white paper proposes guidelines to ensure SLAs around bandwidth, throughput, latency, traffic prioritization and numerous other factors. It also provides guidelines for RF planning and design, with consideration given to such factors as band steering, MU-MIMO and adjusting for high-density deployments that demand increased capacity. It also addresses ways to provide mobility and backward compatibility with previous WiFi versions.
"Since its inception 20 years ago, WiFi has become a fundamental expectation for consumers and enterprises alike," said Tiago Rodrigues, general manager, WBA. "This latest white paper comes at a crucial time; not only is global demand for WiFi continuing unabated, but operators worldwide are ramping up 5G networks, and governmental authorities around the world are preparing to open 6 GHz spectrum to WiFi traffic. Today's announcement illustrates the dedication of the WBA and its member companies to providing timely, expert direction to ensure that WiFi deployments successfully accommodate all of these global factors."
The paper provides a number of deployment scenarios for WiFi 6, including public venues, stadiums, residential and multi-dwelling units, the Internet of Things (IoT) and enterprise WLANs. The paper was developed in conjunction with WBA's Next Gen WiFi Work Group develop, including operator representatives from Boingo Wireless, BT and Charter Communications, as well as vendor representatives from Broadcom, Cisco and CommScope.