Published: January 2019
Wi-Fi 6, also known by its IEEE designation 802.11ax, is no longer a theoretical upgrade—it’s here. As 2019 begins, network engineers must prepare for the most significant leap in wireless networking since the debut of Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). Although client-side adoption will take time, the infrastructure shifts required to support Wi-Fi 6 begin now.
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is perhaps the most game-changing feature in Wi-Fi 6. Unlike previous generations that assigned a full channel to a single user, OFDMA allows multiple users to share the same channel simultaneously by dividing it into subcarriers (Resource Units, or RUs).
This makes Wi-Fi 6 incredibly efficient in high-density environments like stadiums, lecture halls, or enterprise office floors. Engineers deploying APs in congested areas must now consider OFDMA support and configuration tuning to fully exploit this feature.
While Wi-Fi 5 brought downlink Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO), Wi-Fi 6 extends this to uplink transmissions. This allows multiple clients to transmit simultaneously, reducing wait times and improving overall throughput. In practice, uplink MU-MIMO is highly beneficial for upload-heavy environments such as video conferencing hubs or enterprise collaboration zones.
Security also gets a boost with WPA3 becoming the new baseline for certified Wi-Fi 6 devices. Although WPA3 adoption is not strictly tied to Wi-Fi 6, both are being rolled out together across many platforms. WPA3 introduces features like Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) and forward secrecy, finally addressing several long-standing weaknesses in WPA2.
Basic Service Set (BSS) Coloring is another Wi-Fi 6 innovation that helps mitigate co-channel interference. By “coloring” traffic from different APs, client devices can more easily differentiate signals from neighboring networks—especially in environments with overlapping AP coverage. This allows for smarter reuse of the same channel across nearby APs, increasing capacity without adding spectrum.
Although Wi-Fi 6 clients are still limited in early 2019, vendors like Cisco, Aruba, and Ruckus have launched Wi-Fi 6-capable APs ready for integration. Network teams planning infrastructure refreshes should strongly consider future-proofing by opting for 802.11ax-ready hardware.
However, keep in mind that true Wi-Fi 6 benefits are only realized when both the access point and client device support the standard. Hybrid environments will be common throughout 2019, and proper RF planning remains essential.
Wi-Fi 6 is not just about faster speeds—it’s about efficiency, security, and scalability. As we enter this next phase of wireless networking, engineers must update their planning frameworks, tooling, and testing environments to fully understand and support Wi-Fi 6 deployments.
Eduardo Wnorowski is a network infrastructure consultant and Director.
With over 24 years of experience in IT and consulting, he designs Wi-Fi environments that scale with modern demands for mobility, security, and visibility.
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