Possibly the largest advancement in Wi-Fi since its inception nearly 25 years ago, the introduction of 6 GHz Wi-Fi represents a paradigm shift in connectivity.
With the delivery of their first outdoor 6 GHz AP, Cisco is launching 6 GHz Wi-Fi globally, with AFC services only needing final FCC permissions before being turned on. According to the business, 6 GHz APs are now available for every application in Cisco's wireless portfolio.
As the FCC gets ready to approve the first AFC service providers for the US market, perhaps before the end of the first quarter of next year, wireless history is being made. This means that businesses and service providers will soon be able to use conventional power levels of 6 GHz Wi-Fi both indoors and outdoors. As a result, Wi-Fi connectivity quality and reach will significantly improve, with up to 63 times stronger RF waves than current low-power, indoor-only 6 GHz Wi-Fi.
Cisco introduced their first outdoor 6 GHz-capable Catalyst AP, known as the CW9163E, last week, expanding their line of Wi-Fi 6E access points.
The new outdoor AP has a tri-band design, meaning that the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands each have two spatial streams. Radiation patterns can be delivered by external antennas in two ways: omnidirectional or directed (available in the first half of 2024). According to Cisco, the new AP has an integrated GPS receiver that can be expanded with an optional external GPS antenna because geolocation is a crucial prerequisite for AFC services. The new AP has a peak PHY data rate of 3.9 Gbps overall for the three bands. The 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard is also supported by the new AP, guaranteeing dependable and fast communication.
