Because of the new realities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many K–12 districts are adopting Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology to keep up with wireless demands.
With the rapidly growing number of mobile and IoT devices, an increasing number of educators are looking to this new wireless standard because it’s designed to deliver the best possible experiences in high-density, mobility-centric environments, both indoors and out.
What is Wi-Fi 6?
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest standard from the Wi-Fi Alliance based on the 802.11ax protocol, and provides critical capabilities needed for next-generation enterprise requirements.
More technically speaking, 802.11ax is an IEEE draft amendment that defines modifications to the 802.11physical layer (PHY) and the medium access control (MAC) sublayer for high-efficiency operation in frequency bands between 1 GHz and 6 GHz.
If your school or district is trying to determine how to spend your 2020 E-Rate, Wi-Fi 6 may be a great option for you! But how do you know when your school district really needs the latest wireless?
4 Reasons to Consider Wi-Fi 6 In Your School District
Here are four reasons to consider migrating to Wi-Fi 6:
1. It Delivers a Superior Experience — Wi-Fi 6 was created to deliver a better user experience. It was designed to allow your network to handle demanding applications like voice, collaborative applications, and video streaming all with ease. It’s built to handle growing traffic and a large amount of applications, it allows multiple devices connected to a single access point to communicate simultaneously, and it allows a fast growing group of IoT devices to share the airspace.
2. It Eliminates Wi-Fi Pain Points — Wi-Fi 6 is ideal for ultra-high-density mobile environments, like schools. If your students or faculty have complained of poor wireless connectivity, consider an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6.
3. It Is Built to Last — If you have been considering a network refresh or a Wi-Fi expansion, consider Wi-Fi 6. Switching to Wi-Fi 6 now will allow your district to move forward with a great operational experience, and will remove any Wi-Fi capacity worry for at least the next several years.
4. It Provides a Solid Network Foundation for IoT — Wi-Fi 6 can extend the battery life of your IoT devices through its power-efficient operating mode that minimizes battery drain and allows devices to sleep for longer periods between checking in with the access point.
Conclusion
Selecting the best Wi-Fi for your school or school system is a matter of understanding which solution delivers the right capabilities for your specific community while staying within your budget. However, you may be able to utilize your E-rate for this upgrade.
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