5G may be getting all the glory, but there is another connectivity advancement gaining ground that you should be aware of and look forward to – that is, if you like Wi-Fi.

More specifically it is the next step for the ever so critical wireless connectivity that makes staying connected while travelling internationally doable (without a massive bill) called Wi-Fi 6. In a nutshell, the new standard, also called 802/.11ax if you want the technical name, is intended to address connectivity issues for high density networks, like offices, airports, shopping centres, conference centre, to name a few. That is pretty much anywhere with lots of traffic where you don’t want the Wi-Fi signal to be unable to keep up with the demand.

According to Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, Wi-Fi 6 will improve the performance of the entire network, and bring new features to that fore that allow multiple clients to transmit simultaneously, increasing network capacity by up to 4 times compared to WiFi 5.

Developments of Wi-Fi 6 becoming more present are moving ahead nicely. Leading the charge on this front is Aruba. The company has just announced  that its family of high performance indoor Wi-Fi 6 access points (APs) – including the Aruba 500 Series, 510 Series, 530 Series and 550 Series APs – have achieved Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance.

The company explained that Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 products “provide significant capacity, performance and latency improvements to the entire Wi-Fi ecosystem, while ensuring that solutions from multiple vendors interoperate to help enable greater innovation and opportunity.” 

As well, according to the press release, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 products provide significant capacity, performance and latency improvements to the entire Wi-Fi ecosystem, while ensuring that solutions from multiple vendors interoperate to help enable greater innovation and opportunity. 

“Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 brings new possibilities that harness the power of Wi-Fi to connect users in more locations and with advanced security,” enthused Kevin Robinson, senior vice president of Marketing at Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 further promotes interoperability and adherence to industry standards to ensure end users receive a superior Wi-Fi experience with their devices,” he continued.

“A key tenet of our two decades-long leadership in Wi-Fi is the vital importance of interoperability and security,” said Chuck Lukaszewski, vice president of Wireless Standards and Strategy at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “As such, we are extremely proud to be among the first vendors to receive Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 certification across our portfolio of high performance Wi-Fi 6 APs.

“With rising device densities, surging bandwidth needs and sophisticated new security threats, it will be increasingly important for users to select devices that are certified to meet the market’s most exacting standards. As we continue to invest in Wi-Fi 6 development to support outdoor, hospitality and remote deployments, customers will be able to take even greater advantage of the emerging, innovative, next-generation use cases that Wi-Fi 6 is enabling,” he concluded.

In a nutshell, Wi-Fi 6 promises better Wi-Fi connectivity for users and businesses alike. Considering how essential Wi-Fi has become in business, travel and to most of us who are still patiently waiting for 5G to actually become mainstream and affordable, it is a heartening development indeed.