Wi-Fi branding to get a lot simpler with upcoming “Wi-Fi 6”

Enlarge / The logos that the Wi-Fi Alliance wants software to use to show the connection speed/type. (credit: Wi-Fi Alliance)

The Wi-Fi Alliance, the trade group that develops and promotes wireless networking standards, is attempting to make Wi-Fi naming a bit simpler with the introduction of 802.11ax next year.

The plan is to brand the new specification as "Wi-Fi 6," rebrand 802.11ac as "Wi-Fi 5," and 802.11n as "Wi-Fi 4," making it easy to tell at a glance which standard is newer and, hence, faster.

The current naming uses IEEE's terminology. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers oversees development of a wide range of electrical and electronic standards. The standards are organized into groups; IEEE 802 covers all local area network standards. 802.11 specifically covers Wireless LAN.

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