Wi-Fi is a general term often used to refer to technology allowing internet access. Wi-Fi standards vary widely. Various devices such as routers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart home devices use wireless standards to connect to the internet.
This standard continues to evolve. The update aims to improve connection quality, speed up internet speeds, and support more simultaneous connections. However, these wireless standards and specifications are often confusing for many people.
Wi-Fi Standards
The behavior of your Wi-Fi network, as well as other data transmission networks, is governed by a set of services and protocols known as wireless standards. The two most common standards are IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN) and Mesh.
Every few years, IEEE makes updates to the Wi-Fi 802.11 standard. Currently, the most widely used Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ac, although 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, is in the process of implementation, although it is slower than expected by experts.
The generation after 802.11ax is now in the development stage, with IEEE 802.11be expected to launch sometime in 2024-2025, which will be known as Wi-Fi 7.
Other Interesting Articles
A Brief History of Wi-Fi Standards
Not all legacy Wi-Fi standards are the same. Here is a brief history of some of the Wi-Fi standards, as well as information on whether or not they are still in use.
- IEEE 802.11: This standard was first developed in 1997 with a maximum speed of 54 megabits per second (Mbps). This standard is obsolete and is no longer used by modern devices.
- IEEE 802.11a: Developed in 1999, this standard operates on a 5GHz frequency with a data rate of up to 54Mbps. However, the 5GHz frequency tends to be less good at penetrating objects so it often has limited range.
- IEEE 802.11b: This standard was also developed in 1999 and operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz with a maximum speed of 11Mbps. It was this standard that started the popularity of Wi-Fi.
- IEEE 802.11g: Introduced in 2003, this standard increases data rates to 54Mbps at a reliable 2.4GHz frequency, making it widely adopted.
- IEEE 802.11n: Although it was introduced in 2009, its adoption was slow. The standard supports multi-channel use and operates on 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies with data rates of up to 600Mbps, limited to a maximum speed of 150Mbps per channel.
At the moment, the IEEE 802.11ac standard is the most commonly used, offering an increase in data throughput of up to 1,300 megabits per second since its launch in 2014. This ac standard also includes features such as MU-MIMO compatibility, more channels for 5GHz frequencies, and support for multiple antennas on a single router.
The next evolution is the IEEE 802.11ax standard, which promises theoretical network performance of up to 10Gbps, an improvement of about 30-40% over the ac standard. In addition, the ax standard will improve MU-MIMO, support more simultaneous data streams, and introduce broadcast subchannels to increase network capacity.
The specification for 802.11be is still in development, but this technology is expected to replace 802.11ax in the future. According to the IEEE Xplore document, 802.11be will offer twice the bandwidth and a greater number of spatial streams, which can result in data rates of up to 40Gbps when combined.
Other Wi-Fi Standards Used
IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5):
This standard has been widely used since 2014 and is still the top choice for many wireless devices today. With bandwidth capabilities of up to 1.3Gbps, Wi-Fi 5 introduces MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output), which allows devices to send and receive data simultaneously. The standard also increases the number of channels in the 5GHz frequency and supports multiple antennas in a single device.
IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6 & Wi-Fi 6E):
Wi-Fi 6 has been implemented since 2019 and provides a significant performance improvement compared to Wi-Fi 5, with a theoretical speed of up to 10Gbps. One of its key features is the efficiency of managing multiple connected devices at the same time, suitable for smart homes and modern work environments. Wi-Fi 6 also introduced OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), which allows for more efficient spectrum sharing for multiple users. Wi-Fi 6E, as an extension of Wi-Fi 6, supports the use of additional spectrum at the 6GHz frequency, which reduces interference and increases speed.
IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7):
The standard is expected to be the next step forward in Wi-Fi technology, with a launch expected sometime in 2024–2025. Wi-Fi 7 will double the existing bandwidth, allowing data rates of up to 40Gbps by using multiple spatial data streams. Wi-Fi 7 is expected to be a solution to the needs of very dense networks and applications that require large bandwidth, such as virtual reality, online gaming, and 8K video streaming.
Comparison of Different Wi-Fi Standards
Each Wi-Fi standard has different advantages and disadvantages, depending on the user’s needs. Here is a comparison table about Wi-Fi standards:
| Wi-Fi Standards | Year of Introduction | Operating Frequency | Maximum Speed | Excess | Deficiency | Current usage |
| IEEE 802.11 | 1997 | 2.4 GHz | 2 Mbps | The first Wi-Fi standard to introduce wireless technology | Very slow, does not support modern technology | Deprecated |
| IEEE 802.11a | 1999 | 5 GHz | 54 Mbps | Reduced interference due to using the 5 GHz frequency | Limited range, signal blocked by physical objects | Rarely used |
| IEEE 802.11b | 1999 | 2.4 GHz | 11 Mbps | Wider range than 802.11a | Very low speed, high interference at 2.4 GHz | Deprecated |
| IEEE 802.11g | 2003 | 2.4 GHz | 54 Mbps | Speeds higher than 802.11b and compatible with older devices | Still susceptible to interference at 2.4 GHz frequencies | Still used in some older devices |
| IEEE 802.11n | 2009 | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 600 Mbps | Supports MIMO, higher speeds, and wider range | Speed depends on the number of channels available | Still in use, but superseded by 802.11ac/ax |
| IEEE 802.11ac | 2014 | 5 GHz | 1.3 Gbps | Supports MU-MIMO, wider channels at 5 GHz frequencies | Limited to 5 GHz frequencies, interference from walls or obstructions | Widely used as Wi-Fi 5 |
| IEEE 802.11ax | 2019 | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz | 9.6 Gbps (theoretical) | Higher speed, efficiency in dense networks, better support for OFDMA and MU-MIMO | Implementation is still in its early stages, devices must be compatible | It is being widely adopted as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E |
| IEEE 802.11be | Estimated 2024-2025 | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz | Up to 40 Gbps (theoretical) | Ultra-fast speeds, support for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications | Still under development | Will be the Wi-Fi 7 standard in the future |