Status: 07/14/2021 2:56 p.m.
Slow or unstable Internet connections will soon be history: The Federal Network Agency has released an additional frequency range for this. This makes surfing faster and better – but only with new hardware.
Anyone who lives in an apartment building can hope for better WiFi from next year. According to its own information, the Federal Network Agency has released the 6 gigahertz frequency range. This means that routers are also allowed to radio in these frequencies, so far they have only done this over 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.
The additional signal range is intended to provide users with fast and stable Internet, even if there are many WLAN networks in the vicinity and these are being used at the same time. So far, the WLAN networks have slowed each other down a little. The frequency that has now been released should alleviate this problem.
New hardware is necessary
It is still unclear when consumers will benefit from the frequency release. Because a software update is not enough, you need new hardware. However, there is currently no router available in Germany that can be used for the 6 gigahertz range that has now been released. The first devices are likely to hit the German market next year. The end devices used for the Internet – whether smartphones, notebooks, tablets or televisions – must also be compatible with the new Wi-Fi 6E technology standard.
The President of the Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, is pleased about the step towards a better wireless fixed-line internet: “We are almost doubling the available spectrum for WLAN.” This will promote further digitization and make innovations possible.
A Vodafone spokesman also said: “New frequencies ensure that the high speeds on the Internet can be used better and better by end customers.”
Companies are working on new products
The best-known manufacturer of routers in Germany is the Berlin company AVM, from which the Fritz! Boxes come. “The use of WLAN in the 6 GHz range is a very positive development,” said a company spokeswoman. “Because as the number of mobile devices at home increases, so does the ‘space requirement’ in wireless networks.”
AVM does not yet offer a router that transmits in the new area. “We are working intensively with Wi-Fi 6E and the introduction of corresponding products that support the new standard,” it said.