Ekahau's Matt Starling joins the podcast to break down some of the main benefits of using 6GHz spectrum in Wi-Fi 6E. He explains why upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E often isn't as simple as taking down existing Wi-Fi access points (APs) and how Ekahau works with organizations to upgrade their Wi-Fi networks.
In this Light Reading podcast, Matt Starling, senior director of product marketing & ECSE at Ekahau, discusses challenges enterprises and service providers face in adopting and deploying Wi-Fi 6E.
Ekahau is a channel business that works with organizations to design and manage their Wi-Fi networks. Service providers, for example, can use Ekahau's tools to design Wi-Fi networks in spaces such as stadiums, warehouses and large enterprise branches.
In 2018, Ookla, known for its network Speedtests and Downdetector, acquired Ekahau. Ookla said Ekahau would continue to operate as they historically had and also benefit from access to Ookla's Speedtest platform. "Ookla will also benefit from the expertise and technology that Ekahau brings to the measurement and optimization of Wi-Fi networks," according to a statement by Ookla.
Here are a few highlights from the podcast:
Benefits of Wi-Fi 6E
Starling breaks down some of the main benefits of using 6 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum in Wi-Fi 6E. On top of the access to additional spectrum in Wi-Fi 6E, "there's no requirement for backwards compatibility," says Starling. Among the benefits to this are improved cost savings and network efficiency, plus improved security with Wi-Fi 6E.
Upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E
However, upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E often isn't as simple as taking down existing Wi-Fi access points (APs) and using the same Ethernet cables, says Starling.
He explains how Ekahau works with organizations to survey their existing Wi-Fi infrastructure and create models that demo how upgrades to the system would improve network performance.
For customers that want to go one step further and upgrade to Wi-Fi 7, those networks require "quite a lot of power" and can necessitate the installation of CAT 7 Ethernet cables, explains Starling.
Dealing with legacy devices
As newer devices rely on 6GHz spectrum, this can create more support for older devices, Starling adds.
"Now we have access to that 6GHz lane," he says. "The more devices that actually go into that lane will create less congestion and more space for these older devices in the 2.4 and 5GHz lanes."
Some organizations still rely heavily on 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum. Healthcare organizations, for example, have many devices operating in that range, and more utilizing of 6GHz spectrum reduces network congestion for those medical devices.
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