Matti Robinson
4 Oct 2018 11:54
For most people Wi-Fi is just Wi-Fi, and the cryptic numbers and letters alongside don't reveal a thing.
Why would Wi-Fi Alliance keep the odd number combination, "802.11", for the ride, and why would they differentiate Wi-Fi versions by attaching random letters to it?
Well, it turns out they don't anymore. Wi-Fi Alliance has revealed that instead of 802.11n and 802.11ac they'll be using new names, Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 respectively.
As you might imagine, the new standard that is in development currently, officially 802.11ax, will be named Wi-Fi 6. If you are in the biz, you know that the 802.11-names will probably persist far in to the future, but at least they won't confuse customers any longer.
Every new generation brings along important upgrades in speeds and reliability, which is better represented by the new naming scheme, and Wi-Fi 6 is no different. However, Wi-Fi Alliance doesn't quote any specs in the statement.