Wireless superheroes: what you need to know about 5G and Wi-Fi 6

For years, two distinct types of wireless networks have co-existed. Wi-Fi is a Local Area Network technology, used primarily indoors — in homes, coffee shops and offices. Cellular networks like 5G and 4G are Wide Area Networks, used both indoors and outdoors, generally covering much larger areas than Wi-Fi.

Every time a new mobile network standard is introduced, we come across headlines stating that Wi-Fi will soon become redundant. 3G was supposed to replace Wi-Fi 802.11b. 4G was supposed to end 802.11ac. Now 5G is supposed to replace Wi-Fi, since it can be used both indoors and outdoors seamlessly.

Will Wi-Fi go the way of cabled internet? We don't think so. Wi-Fi 6 — and its newer variant 6E — and 5G are complementary technologies built on shared underlying innovations like MIMO and OFDMA. Both support more capacity, offer higher bandwidth and lower latency.

Like any superhero, both of these wireless technologies have their superpowers and their kryptonite. They are designed to overcome specific problems faced by their predecessors. Instead of thinking of them as rivals, it is more useful to think of them as belonging to the same clan. With their joint powers, they offer a better experience for the end user.

What is 5G?

5G cellular networks provide substantially more speed, far more capacity, and lower latency than 4G networks. This means you can connect more devices, transmit more data, and deliver faster connectivity than before. As with 4G, mobile operators migrate customers to 5G in a phased manner, on 5G-capable devices.

What is Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6 is a wireless technology based on the IEEE 802.11ax standard. It offers higher capacity and considerably greater speed than the previous generation, Wi-Fi 5, along with a significant reduction in latency. Like other Wi-Fi networks, you can deploy Wi-Fi 6 in a home, an office, or any other space. Customers have to switch to a Wi-Fi 6 compliant access point to enjoy the benefits.

The origin story

Wi-Fi 6 was designed to address the increasing wireless network challenges faced by large organisations. Compared with its predecessor, it is better poised to handle network bottlenecks. It supports more devices and more users thanks to its resource utilisation efficiency. With the higher speeds of Wi-Fi 6, devices can perform better while also improving battery life and coverage.

5G is the latest entrant in mobile cellular networks. Its predecessors 3G and 4G made it possible for users to consume voice, data and video in newly digitised forms. 5G offers advantages over 4G in data rate, capacity and latency — the last of which matters most for AR and VR applications.

How they are complementary

When it comes to user experience, both Wi-Fi 6 and 5G can reach gigabit speeds and low latency.

Wi-Fi 6 for indoor use, 5G for on-the-go devices. Wi-Fi 6 has a lower cost to install, maintain and scale, especially where more access points are needed to serve different user clusters. It will be used for home, business and public environments — think of the dozens of data-hungry devices that will continue to connect to public and private Wi-Fi networks.

5G suits devices both on the move and stationary. In fact, 5G may use Wi-Fi as an access technology. Besides smartphones, 5G is used for smart city projects, connected cars, and other mobile applications.

Both technologies have strong security mechanisms to protect them from malware and other threats, and both use sophisticated encryption to keep user data protected in transit.

Licensing

The two have different licensing requirements. Since Wi-Fi uses unlicensed spectrum, individuals or enterprises can install and use their own network without obtaining a licence. As a consequence, a Wi-Fi network's performance is affected by how many people are using the same channel at the same time. 5G networks are managed by mobile operators and require dedicated licensed spectrum.

The limitations

Wi-Fi 6 works best for indoor and confined locations and when the device is predominantly stationary. 5G works well outdoors and when the device is moving. However, the range of 5G connectivity at higher frequencies is limited — those waves travel a short distance and are interrupted by physical obstructions such as buildings and trees.

Together, the two cover each other's limitations and offer seamless connectivity.

It takes two

With the number of data-hungry devices growing, both technologies are here to stay. Neither 5G nor Wi-Fi 6 will replace the other. They will continue to be used in tandem depending on user requirements, working together to connect the next generation of devices.

If you are building products that have to work across both, our wireless engineering team spends its days in exactly that overlap.