Wireless internet connectivity is always improving. With the rollout of both 5G and Wi-Fi 6E, we need to know whether they are both needed and whether cellular networks will replace Wi-Fi entirely.
5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for cellular networks, developed under the auspices of the Third Generation Partnership Project as the successor to 4G LTE. Mobile network operators began to deploy 5G services worldwide in 2019.
Wi-Fi 6E is based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which is used to create a radio local area network of devices and internet access. Wi-Fi 6E is the latest expansion in Wi-Fi that uses the 6GHz frequency.
So how do 5G and Wi-Fi 6E differ? In spectrum allocation, business models and use cases.
The first important distinction is about the way spectrum is allocated.
MNOs are given "licensed" spectrum: an exclusive right to use specified frequency bands within a geographical area to deploy 5G services.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6E operates in an "unlicensed" spectrum that is open to anyone to use, subject to agreed practices that prevent users from interfering with one another. The licensed and unlicensed distinction further translates into the second difference on business models.
MNOs normally deploy 5G technologies as paid services such as voice calling, text messaging and internet access. So subscribers pay MNOs to access the spectrum.
By contrast, Wi-Fi networks are deployed by an organization or a venue for use by their own employees or by customers. Thus, Wi-Fi is often an intrinsic part of a business operation.
Finally, their respective use cases.
The advantage of the licensed MNO model is that connection to the cellular network is automatic, universal and pervasive. The user, or subscriber, never asks to look for the name of the wireless network or enter a password.
Cellular technology also has greater range to cover and it's inherently mobile.
Wi-Fi technology provides unmetered high-speed connectivity that can be implemented anytime and within the range of the organization or homeowner.
Furthermore, Wi-Fi enables end-user data collection by those entities. This has been a significant driver of Wi-Fi commercial deployment because the user data has become the "new oil."
The choice between cellular and Wi-Fi therefore depends on the situation and the needs of people browsing the internet.
For example, it can make sense to deploy public Wi-Fi in a hotel because it helps with indoor coverage, or because it's cheaper and easier to set up indoors than a cellular network.
On the other hand, LTE and 5G are more suited for moments that demand fast, long-range mobility - when you are driving your car or watching a video on the MTR.
The reality is that we need cellular and Wi-Fi networks to serve different purposes. New versions of each technology, including 5G and Wi-Fi 6E, will continue to improve but never entirely overtake the other.
In some cases, the two types of wireless internet connectivity may be deployed simultaneously. This dual-network approach is already used at high-density locations like airports, convention centers and stadiums. They have created systems that balance the number of devices on the cellular and the Wi-Fi networks automatically to achieve the best result.
Nonetheless, there are cases where the two technologies cross into the other's domain competitively. Manufacturers and sellers of Wi-Fi and cellular equipment may try to undercut each other.
The funny thing is, despite all their differences, cellular and Wi-Fi have in at least one respect become more similar: they are operating in increasingly smaller cells.
Dr Jolly Wong is a policy fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge
