Two new technologies were introduced: one aimed at mobile devices, expected to reach the market in the second half, and another one for routers, already available for sale. Both use the 6 GHz spectrum of wireless networks, recently opened by the United States Federal Communications Commission. The dedicated smartphone solution will be part of the FastConnect line, and its two options – 6700 and 6900 – are expected to be integrated with Snapdragon chips, with estimated speeds of 3 Gbps and 3.6 Gbps, respectively. Both include support for the maximum number of Wi-Fi channels of 160 MHz on 5 GHz and 6 GHz networks.
VK Jones, Qualcomm’s vice president, said he was confident about the industry’s adoption of the new chips. “My expectation is that it will be a very quick transition, especially in flagships.”
Next moves
It is not yet known when the exact time for replacing the devices will be, since the company’s flagships for this year have already been launched and use the FastConnect 6800, without compatibility with the 6 GHz network. According to The Verge, apparently, manufacturers will be able to choose between the technologies, but it is not clear whether they should wait for the launch of the new generation in order to take advantage of the connection news. As for the chips aimed at routers, all four – models 610, 810, 1210 and 1610 – reach a speed between 5.4 Gbps and 10.8 Gbps distributed in 16 channels. With the adoption of such solutions, the 5 GHz spectrum can be released for use by other devices.
As a novelty, the 6 GHz network has yet to undergo a series of approvals in other parts of the world, such as in Europe – which prevents the immediate acquisition of Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6 equipment by consumers eager for improved connections. However, this should not take long to happen, as the company is fully dedicated to going through the process as quickly as possible. You may also like.
