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Wi-Fi 6: what is it and why is it important to the transport industry?

By Jeremy Haskey, Head of Solution Architecture/ Telecoms, Nomad Digital

The next generation of Wi-Fi is upon us, and it’s called Wi-Fi 6. With the potential to change how we use and connect to the internet, Wi-Fi 6 will significantly affect the transport industry.

Here’s what you need to know about Wi-Fi 6 and why it matters for the future of transportation:

What makes Wi-Fi 6 special?

Wi-Fi 6 is the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, and it’s designed to be faster, more efficient, and more secure than previous generations. It uses a new radio technology called Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), which allows more data to be transmitted. This means Wi-Fi 6 can support more devices and users simultaneously without slowing down the network.

In addition, Wi-Fi 6 comes with new data protection features, one of which is Target Wake Time (TWT), which enables devices to “wake up” only when they need to transmit data. This reduces power consumption and helps extend battery life.

What makes Wi-Fi 6 essential for the transport industry?

Wi-Fi 6 has the potential to revolutionise how we move people and goods around, continuing to make it more efficient and sustainable. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) brings faster throughput speeds, better battery life, and less bandwidth congestion than possible with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

The transport industry is increasingly relying on Wi-Fi to power its operations. For example, it’s looking to Wi-Fi 6 to power the next generation of connected vehicles that need to communicate with each other and with infrastructure in real time. Wi-Fi 6 will be able to handle this data traffic seamlessly.

What do experts think?

Nomad Digital – a global player when it comes to transport Wi-Fi connectivity and a company at the forefront of the Wi-Fi 6 revolution; is of the following view when it comes to gauging the future impact of this emerging technology: “WiFi6 is helping us deliver passenger Wi-Fi services by allowing considerably more active users to be connected at once on a single access point, with a significant uplift in throughput per user. This results in a transformed passenger experience.”

In summary, the transport industry is on the cusp of a significant change, and Wi-Fi 6 will be a major part of that change, with the potential to make transportation more efficient and sustainable.