WBA survey: 78% say 6 GHz key to network strategy
Summary
A new report from the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), an industry group focused on advancing the adoption of Wi-Fi technologies, finds that plans for next-generation Wi-Fi 6 deployments are widespread, and that extension into the 6 GHz band is key to network strategies. Wi-Fi Certified 6 serves as an inflection point for broader adoption of Wi-Fi 6, according to Kevin Robinson, VP of marketing for the Wi-Fi Alliance in a previous interview, noting Wi-Fi 6 is focused on the aggregate network of performance not just speed. According to the WBA survey, 65% want to use 6 GHz spectrum for applications that require high bandwidth and low latency including augmented and virtual reality and gaming on Wi-Fi 6 devices. In terms of top priorities for related to respondents’ network evolution and 5G strategy, 46% cited the role of Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum as the most important factor, compared to 15% that named the roadmap and standardization of 5G NR as key. 3GPP Release 16, slated to be finalized later this year, will include specifications for 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum (5G NR-U), which is a version of license assisted access (LAA) that has been used by carriers to boost LTE.