Networking

Agencies Are Finding They Need the Speed of Wi-Fi 6E and 7

High device density on some agency networks is driving them to make the transition.

Brian Smurlo is a Solution Architect at CDW.

Sven Rasmussen has a passion for technology and for helping people explore the infinite use cases for wireless networking. Sven is an enterprise networking team lead at CDW, where he helps guide network strategy for CDW’s network solution architects.

CDW is working with agency components of varying sizes to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E and even Wi-Fi 7 depending on bandwidth requirements.

Those components currently prioritizing the increased bandwidth that comes with the transition generally have high device density on their networks.

The Federal Communications Commission decided in 2020 to open 1.2 gigahertz of spectrum covering the 6GHz band for unlicensed use to enable Wi-Fi 6E to deliver performance increases. The spectrum is much broader than the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands and allows for faster network speeds.

Many applications, especially those that play video and use voice, require those faster speeds, and the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard adds even more bandwidth. Most agencies aren’t having conversations about transitioning to Wi-Fi 7 yet, and Cisco is only just announcing its related access points. Those manufacturers that have announced Wi-Fi 7 access points are still getting user devices to the point where they can take advantage of the standard.

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Apple is usually the first tech company to adopt a new standard, and its new iPhones have Wi-Fi 7 built in, as do some Samsung phones. All tech companies will eventually follow suit.

A Wi-Fi 6E selling point for agencies has been the ROI; adopting the standard ensures devices won’t be obsolete anytime soon. The price difference between technologies is also insignificant, so future proofing makes sense.

Considerations When Transitioning to a Modern Wi-Fi Standard

Agencies considering upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E or 7 should first see if they have the budget, then ask what the network design will look like and how much hardware needs upgrading. For instance, the components of the agency mentioned above typically require 10 to 50 access points depending on their size.

Another question worth asking is whether the agency can employ a phased approach.

DISCOVER: The GSA’s Workplace Innovation Lab stays sustainable with Power over Ethernet.

New access points require more power, lest agencies waste the added speed Wi-Fi 6E and 7 bring. Most network switches — the hardware connecting devices on a network so they can communicate — allow 1-gigabyte-per-second speeds, while multigig switches support 2.5, 5 and even 10GB. Wi-Fi 7 access points get close to that upper 10GB mark, so agencies typically need new wired infrastructure to support them.

Agencies also need switches that support universal Power over Ethernet, all of which a third party such as CDW can help them purchase and deploy. CDW helps customers plan ahead based on their current setups. (Yes, even the ones still running 10/100 megabits per second.)

Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 Go with AI Like PB&J

Another benefit of Wi-Fi 6E and 7 is they work hand in hand with artificial intelligence in network management software, allowing for constant monitoring and automated changes. AI can alter anything on a network a human can but faster, so issues such as network interference can be mitigated in less time.

New client devices being manufactured not only have Wi-Fi 6E or 7 wireless radios built in but support OpenAI and ChatGPT. Laptops with Microsoft Copilot have a button users can press for instant AI, so the synergy is there.

UP NEXT: Microsoft Copilot took agencies by storm this summer.

This article is part of FedTech’s CapITal blog series.