Wireless Broadband Alliance Members Complete First Phase Wi-FI 6 Industry 4.0 Trials
LONDON — The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the body leading development of next-generation Wi-Fi services, confirmed the successful completion of its phase-one trial of Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure and services at the Mettis Aerospace factory in the U.K. The trial was the first of its kind in the world and an important part of the WBA’s Wi-Fi 6 test and development program.
Tests included applications of 4K video streaming, large scale file transfers, messaging, and voice/video communications as well as the first stage of IoT sensor and mixed reality testing. Previous implementation tests with Wi-Fi failed to work in Mettis’ challenging factory environment. During the trial, speeds of 700 Mbps using 80-MHz channels were achieved and low latency applications, like video calling and video streaming, performed well with results below 6ms. These results proved that Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure can operate well in the presence of interference and noise in a complex and challenging factory environment as well as deliver high-quality services for monitoring and maximizing machinery performance, minimizing downtime, and improving communications on the factory floor.