Analysts: Manufactures might skip over WiFi 6E due to supply constraints

The big picture: Last week, an analyst group released a report that suggests the new WiFi 6E standard hasn’t been as successful as hoped due to the timing of its introduction. Manufacturers may be sticking with WiFi 6 until the arrival of WiFi 7, which isn’t that far away.

A report from IT analyst firm Dell’Oro Group suggests that supply constraints are holding back WiFi 6E. On top of that, WiFi 7 is expected to arrive next year, so WiFi 6E may end up having a limited lifespan.

Released in the middle of last year, WiFi 6E is a label to signify devices that bring all the advantages of WiFi 6—a wider range of frequencies, higher throughput, and lower latency—to the new 6GHz spectrum. In October, Netgear released the first quad-band WiFi 6E mesh router, and Synaptics uses WiFi 6E for a recently introduced wireless monitor docking system. However, WiFi 7 is more than twice as fast as 6E, and companies are already demoing WiFi 7 products this year.

System integrators have told Dell’Oro that customers still prioritize WiFi 6, possibly because the components are easier to get. Supply constraints are expected to continue through 2022, so it may simply be worth it to wait for WiFi 7. The group also says 6GHz spectrum standards haven’t been standardized yet, holding back WiFi 6E OEM adoption.

Released only a year after WiFi 6, 6E was always going to be just a half-step in the evolution of the technology. It’s just unfortunate that it came just in time for a historic disruption in global supply chains.