It’s an thrilling time on the earth of Wi-Fi. The Federal Communication Fee (FCC) just lately authorised Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) for service suppliers. Including to this momentum, the FCC granted standard-power certification to a spread of Cisco Wi-fi Wi-Fi 6E entry factors. This implies you’ll have the ability to take full benefit of the 6 GHz band to assist your wireless-first technique. However what precisely is AFC and commonplace energy, who requires it, and the way can it profit you and your group?
6 GHz regulation, commonplace energy, and AFC
The FCC and different regulators around the globe have guidelines round how the 6 GHz band is used. The first consideration is the safety of incumbent operators within the 6 GHz spectrum. Till now, 6 GHz Wi-Fi was restricted to low-power indoor use circumstances to keep away from interference with different operators, similar to mounted satellite tv for pc and broadcast companies. To allow commonplace energy use within the 6 GHz band, there was a have to agree on governance over how the 6 GHz spectrum is used.
The latest determination by the FCC to approve AFC now provides us the power to deploy 6 GHz utilizing commonplace energy for indoor, outside, and exterior antenna use circumstances. This can be a important improvement that permits us to make the most of all that the 6 GHz band has to supply. And with america and the FCC taking the lead, different international locations are certain to observe go well with.
How does AFC work?
In accordance with a Cisco whitepaper on 6 GHz rules, the FCC has arrange a framework the place organizations can provide AFC as a service. This AFC service will dictate how a lot energy an unlicensed 6 GHz-capable machine can transmit on any given channel, or whether or not the machine might be allowed to ship in any respect. With out AFC, incumbents might face interference, which might degrade their skill to speak inside the 6 GHz band.
Utilizing commonplace energy requires the AFC to know the situation of the entry level. All Cisco Wi-Fi 6E entry factors, whatever the stack, can assist GPS/GNSS or use geo-location propagation methods for location dedication. Utilizing this location knowledge, the AFC system queries an FCC database to establish incumbents within the neighborhood of the 6 GHz sign. If incumbents exist, the AFC will mechanically block sure channels or scale back energy to components of the spectrum.
The Cisco AFC answer interfaces with AFC cloud companies, per FCC necessities, and gives directors with granular visibility into the obtainable spectrum and channels, in addition to the ability allocation for every.
AFC is straightforward to configure by way of the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wi-fi Controller or with the Meraki dashboard.
Determine 1. AFC standing monitoring on the Meraki dashboard.
Determine 2. Customary-power configuration within the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wi-fi Controller.
The necessity for traditional energy
Why would anybody want commonplace energy? There are a number of causes, however the principle objective is to broadcast Wi-Fi within the 6 GHz band with extra energy in each outside and indoor areas. This consists of indoor areas with lofty ceilings and enormous open environments. Moreover, outside areas can now broadcast within the 6 GHz band, which is barely allowed in standard-power mode. The general aim is to offer dependable, quick, and uninterrupted companies to customers.
Let’s speak about just a few examples. Take into consideration outside areas at resorts and sports activities stadiums and the way they join friends to point-of-sale methods, ticketing, and extra. One other instance is in manufacturing. Think about a manufacturing facility ground with automated guided autos (AGVs) and autonomous cellular robots (AMRs) related reliably over distance.
To study extra about 6 GHz Wi-Fi in manufacturing, ensure to register for this upcoming webinar.
Healthcare is one other instance—large buildings with lengthy hallways and hovering atriums in addition to massive outside areas. Docs, employees, and sufferers want to stay related to make sure high quality care and entry to sources.
Adventist Well being, a Cisco buyer, weighed in on the announcement. “We’re enthusiastic about certification for AFC and commonplace energy. With commonplace energy, we are able to prolong 6 GHz Wi-Fi throughout our campuses,” stated Ed Vanderpool, Senior Community Supervisor at Adventist Well being. “It will present our caregivers, employees, and sufferers the velocity and high quality of 6 GHz Wi-Fi wherever they selected to roam, with jitter-free voice and video communications, quick entry to crucial knowledge recordsdata, and dependable entry to cloud purposes. Relating to Wi-Fi and the latest FCC certifications, we belief Cisco for its reliability, functionality, and innovation.”
Register for our 6 GHz webinar with Adventist Well being right here.
Moreover, with commonplace energy 6 GHz Wi-Fi, cellular service suppliers can densify and prolong 5G with highly effective and dependable Wi-Fi when and the place obtainable. Likewise, retail, schooling, authorities, sensible buildings, sensible cities, and extra can benefit from commonplace energy 6 GHz wi-fi to enhance connectivity and ship purposes at larger speeds with enhanced safety, each indoor and outside. High quality wi-fi is a mission-critical service for all these industries.
Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and past
Cisco has essentially the most complete Wi-Fi 6E portfolio available on the market, and as we see Wi-Fi 7 requirements emerge, we’ll proceed to achieve much more capabilities to assist a rising variety of use circumstances. Wi-Fi 7 builds on the work we now have achieved in Wi-Fi 6E and can take full benefit of AFC to allow the complete energy of the 6 GHz band.
Considered one of my workforce members and fellow wi-fi product entrepreneurs, Stefani Johnson, talked about in her latest weblog put up that, “Wi-Fi 7 presents a possibility to land an exceptionally differentiated buyer expertise, elevated income and effectivity, and diminished time-to-value for digital initiatives.”
Cisco Wi-fi professional Anand Gurumurthy additionally writes about Wi-Fi 7 and says in his newest put up, “[Wi-Fi 7] presents tremendous low latency, extra sturdy connection, larger spectral effectivity, higher interference mitigation, extra power-saving methods, higher roaming experiences, and elevated safety.”
With an unprecedented variety of units connecting to as we speak’s wi-fi networks, together with anticipated development, we’re seeing a transformational shift in connectivity throughout the locations we work, store, and dwell. It’s on this uber-connected wireless-first world that 6 GHz Wi-Fi and the subsequent era of purposes are driving a brand new wi-fi actuality.
Now we have AFC now, it’s time to start out dreaming up new use circumstances. Take a look at your wants, consider your community, and see how one can profit from standard-power Wi-Fi 6E.
To study extra concerning the Cisco Wi-Fi 6E portfolio, go to the Cisco Wi-fi product web page
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