IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) have stated that the new IEEE P802.11ax standard meets or exceeds requirements specified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the 5G Indoor Hotspot and Dense Urban test environments of the enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) usage scenario. The standard establishes a foundation for an advanced Wi-Fi technology capable of supporting 5G network performance.
Successful evaluation of the standard demonstrates the ongoing evolution of IEEE 802.11 to meet wireless capacity demands being driven by remote video streaming, cloud access, and an increasingly connected mobile world.
According to Dorothy Stanley, the IEEE 802.11 Working Group chair, achieving 5G performance at the cost points associated with Wi-Fi supports the continued advancement of wireless technology, as well as the exponential growth of mobile wireless device utilization. The successful evaluation of IEEE P802.11ax meets the ever-increasing needs of wireless communication, providing higher data rates, increased reliability, and lower latency to better serve the entire industry.
The methodology specified in the IMT-2020 requirements provides network descriptions, channel models, traffic patterns and other parameters necessary to benchmark performance. The benchmark for compliance to the IMT-2020 requirements for the specific scenario and environments consists of:
- Minimum acceptable downlink/uplink peak performance,
- Average user experience,
- Cell-edge user experience,
- Mobility performance and latency performance.
The IEEE P802.11ax standard satisfies all the Medium Access Control and Physical Layer (MAC/PHY) requirements for Indoor Hotspot and Dense Urban test environments of the eMBB usage scenario. Products implementing the standard are available today and can provide 5G connectivity, helping to speed the deployment of networks which deliver 5G performance and increasing the availability of 5G wireless access for users. Supporting documentation for IEEE P802.11ax meeting the IMT-2020 requirements for eMBB is available for public download.
The draft standard is available for purchase at the IEEE Standard Store.
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. It sets specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. It has a portfolio of over 1,100 active standards and more than 800 standards under development.
