It’s an thrilling time on the earth of Wi-Fi. The Federal Communication Fee (FCC) lately authorized 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 be capable to take full benefit of the 6 GHz band to help 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 all over the world 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, corresponding to fastened satellite tv for pc and broadcast providers. To allow commonplace energy use within the 6 GHz band, there was a must agree on governance over how the 6 GHz spectrum is used.
The current choice by the FCC to approve AFC now offers us the flexibility to deploy 6 GHz utilizing commonplace energy for indoor, outside, and exterior antenna use circumstances. This can be a vital growth 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 comply with swimsuit.
How does AFC work?
Based on 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 will probably be allowed to ship in any respect. With out AFC, incumbents may face interference, which might degrade their potential to speak throughout 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 help GPS/GNSS or use geo-location propagation methods for location willpower. 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 routinely block sure channels or cut back energy to components of the spectrum.
The Cisco AFC resolution interfaces with AFC cloud providers, per FCC necessities, and supplies directors with granular visibility into the obtainable spectrum and channels, in addition to the facility 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 normal energy
Why would anybody want commonplace energy? There are a number of causes, however the principle function is to broadcast Wi-Fi within the 6 GHz band with extra energy in each outside and indoor areas. This consists of indoor places with lofty ceilings and enormous open environments. Moreover, outside areas can now broadcast within the 6 GHz band, which is just allowed in standard-power mode. The general objective is to supply dependable, quick, and uninterrupted providers to customers.
Let’s speak about a number of examples. Take into consideration outside areas at resorts and sports activities stadiums and the way they join visitors to point-of-sale methods, ticketing, and extra. One other instance is in manufacturing. Think about a manufacturing unit ground with automated guided autos (AGVs) and autonomous cellular robots (AMRs) linked 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 giant outside areas. Docs, workers, and sufferers want to stay linked to make sure high quality care and entry to assets.
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 will prolong 6 GHz Wi-Fi throughout our campuses,” stated Ed Vanderpool, Senior Community Supervisor at Adventist Well being. “This may present our caregivers, workers, and sufferers the pace and high quality of 6 GHz Wi-Fi wherever they selected to roam, with jitter-free voice and video communications, quick entry to vital knowledge recordsdata, and dependable entry to cloud functions. In terms of Wi-Fi and the current 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, training, authorities, good buildings, good cities, and extra can benefit from commonplace energy 6 GHz wi-fi to enhance connectivity and ship functions 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 in the marketplace, and as we see Wi-Fi 7 requirements emerge, we’ll proceed to achieve much more capabilities to help a rising variety of use circumstances. Wi-Fi 7 builds on the work we’ve got performed in Wi-Fi 6E and can take full benefit of AFC to allow the complete energy of the 6 GHz band.
One among my group members and fellow wi-fi product entrepreneurs, Stefani Johnson, talked about in her current weblog submit that, “Wi-Fi 7 presents a chance to land an exceptionally differentiated buyer expertise, elevated income and effectivity, and decreased time-to-value for digital initiatives.”
Cisco Wi-fi knowledgeable Anand Gurumurthy additionally writes about Wi-Fi 7 and says in his newest submit, “[Wi-Fi 7] affords 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 gadgets connecting to in the present day’s wi-fi networks, together with anticipated progress, 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 following technology of functions are driving a brand new wi-fi actuality.
Now we have AFC now, it’s time to start out dreaming up new use circumstances. Have 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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