Wi-Fi 6, the newest generation of Wi-Fi connectivity, reached a significant milestone today with official certification by Wi-Fi Alliance.

The statement of Tiago Rodrigues, the WBA organization’s General Manager, on this development:

“This is the point at which Wi-Fi 6 starts to become mainstream – it’s the end of the beginning.  Up until now, Wi-Fi 6 has been the domain of pioneers and pilots, including some of our members like Korea Telekom, SK Telekom, Cisco and Boingo Wireless. Those pilots and early deployments have been happening for some time, but now with the launch of Wi-Fi 6 CERTIFIED®, a much larger volume of wireless operators and enterprises will be more confident investing in Wi-Fi 6 devices and infrastructure, which ultimately benefits businesses and consumers.  This will likely create a virtuous circle, where hardware manufacturers and service providers will likewise become more focused on addressing the growing appetite for Wi-Fi 6.”

“In terms of what happens next on the ground, we’ll see service providers and likely early adopters like venues and the hospitality and retail sectors exploring their options with Wi-Fi 6.  There are still some things to watch out for and challenges to be addressed – it won’t necessarily be a straight rip-and-replace of existing equipment, as there will need to be some more planning and re-configuring to tackle the opportunity optimally.  That’s why we created our Wi-Fi 6 Deployment Guidelines to smooth the transition out and make the most of this huge leap in Wi-Fi capability.”