Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard that operates in the 6 GHz band, in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The "E" in Wi-Fi 6E stands for "Extended". This extension to the 6 GHz band provides up to 1,200 MHz of additional spectrum, which translates to more bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency. Wi-Fi 6E is not a new standard, but a certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance that indicates Wi-Fi 6 devices supporting the 6 GHz band.
The key benefit of Wi-Fi 6E is that the 6 GHz band experiences less interference because it is exclusive to Wi-Fi 6E devices. This alleviates network congestion and enables high-bandwidth applications, such as high-definition video streaming, online gaming, and virtual reality. Wi-Fi 6E utilizes features of Wi-Fi 6 like Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Target Wake Time (TWT), and WPA3 security. To use Wi-Fi 6E, both the router/access point and the client device (e.g., phone, laptop) must have hardware that supports the 6 GHz band.
