Wireless Access

Hello all,

Do you know if the current Aruba Wifi 6 AP's will support the new 5 / 6Ghz channels in the UK.

The new available channels are

68 to 92

169 to 171

This is a summary of what Ofcom in the UK have decided

Make the lower 6 GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) available for Wi-Fi and other RLAN technologies. Opening this band will make more channels available, increase capacity and reduce congestion in existing bands caused by large numbers of devices.The release of this spectrum will also enable very low power (VLP) outdoor use. This will enable the development of new, innovative applications.

Remove the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) requirements from channels used by Wi-Fi in the 5.8 GHz band (5725-5850 MHz). DFS requires a router to scan for radars and to switch channel if suspected radar transmissions are detected. DFS can therefore represent a constraint for equipment manufacturers regarding quality of service and throughput as well as being the cause of connection delays for users. We are amending the requirements on this band on the basis that the risk of undue interference from indoor Wi-Fi use is extremely low. The removal of DFS will increase its use for indoor wireless applications and help reduce congestion in other bands.

The additional 5GHz channels and changes in requirements to use them can easily be supported on existing Aruba AP platforms through our DRT mechanism. As soon as we obtain the/updated certs, we can push out a new DRT version to enable the new capabilities. After that it is ultimately up to our customers to decide whether or not to enable these channels. Keep in mind that if client devices do not (yet) support them, these devices could be experiencing coverage holes in an enterprise system where the channels are used.

6GHz support is a completely different situation. First of all, support requires new chipsets, new radios, and new access point platforms. Also, for the same reason as above (client support), 6GHz support will need to be "in addition to" concurrent 2.4GHz and 5GHz support. It basically provides a "third spectrum layer", delivering a massive increase in Wi-Fi capacity. The typical 6GHz capable enterprise AP will be a tri-radio device.

That's a long way to answer "no" to your question about 6GHz support (and "yes" for 5GHz).