Wi-Fi 6 impresses in Industry 4.0 trial’s first phase

Speeds of 700 Mbps using 80 MHz channels were achieved during the trial and low latency applications, like video calling and video streaming, performed well with the average latency being less than 6ms and the maximum observed latency was 11ms.

The WBA claims that these results prove that Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure can operate well in the presence of interference and noise in a complex and challenging factory environment while delivering high quality services for monitoring and maximising machinery performance, minimising downtime, and improving communications on the factory floor.

The phase I trial involved the following tests (among others), which were performed using devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and webcams equipped with the Broadcom BCM4375 and Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 chipsets::

A graph showing some of the video call test results – the device making the call was also running background traffic as it roamed around the factory floor. The dip was caused by the client roaming from one AP to AP, while maintaining connectivity and high throughput.