Latin America. Streaming services had the largest share of television viewership for the first time in U.S. history last July 2022, according to data released by Nielsen. Of the total time that television was watched, 34.8% was done by streaming (Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube ...), while 34.4% was by cable. Free-to-air television accounted for 21.6% of the total.
This trend will continue in the coming years with new smart TVs and IoT devices coming out day by day. There is a fundamental connector for everything to work according to the expectations of the user experience: Wi-Fi. The modern home will increasingly depend on the stability and speed of its network.
The Wi-Fi 6 standard (IEEE 802.11ax) takes wireless home networks several steps forward with performance-enhancing features. The standard and the devices that support it have been expressly created to offer reliable and stable 4K and even 8K transmission.
More intelligence
A traditional Wi-Fi network is overwhelmed by the hundreds of devices trying to connect to the system. As a result, if an access point is busy attending to a multitude of requests, the speed can decrease significantly. Wi-Fi 6 uses Multiuser-MIMO technology, in which two devices can be connected at the same time on the same frequency.
Wi-Fi 6 creates a tipping point in technology by allowing you to dynamically assign a communication channel for each device. This allows for more simultaneous connections per RF channel and improves communication efficiency while reducing latency.
Less power, more connection
Smart home devices, such as smartphones, sensors, and cameras, are battery-powered. However, when these units are constantly looking for connections, the batteries drain quickly.
Wi-Fi 6 has the intelligence to coordinate with devices, telling them exactly when to turn on their radio and when not, allowing them to now have longer downtime. In this way, the smartphone gets more life from each charge, for example.
Greater data protection
With wireless devices, security is a constant concern. Wi-Fi contains incredibly personal information that hackers are waiting to intercept. For the first time, Wi-Fi 6 comes standard with WPA3 encryption security. In this way, the home network is exponentially more secure. In addition, the protocol provides an enterprise-class cryptographic scheme that provides the highest level of protection.
There are plenty of reasons to get excited about Wi-Fi 6. Faster speeds and low latency will benefit gamers and VR enthusiasts, while increased battery life and improved security puts home entertainment with Wi-Fi 6 on the next level.
Text published by Juan Carlos Cabrera Lelo de Larrea, WiFi Business Development Director CALA at Cambium Networks.
