The reason 6Ghz was introduced with WiFi 6E and 7 was because 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz was very busy.

My question is why isn’t there anything in between? Why isn’t there a 3Ghz, 3.5Ghz, 4Ghz, etc?

Also, what if things that require very little data transmission used something lower than 2.4Ghz for longer range? (1Ghz or something?)

  • sbird@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    6·
    8 days ago

    Is it due to cost? Does adding more frequencies increase the cost? (maybe that’s why WiFi 6E and 7 routers are so expensive)

    Or is it because of compatibility? It would be more difficult to get everyone to agree on so many different wireless frequencies.

    Or maybe it’s because of interference? Maybe adding things in between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz would make the network harder to read as things like 3Ghz, 4Ghz, etc. are too close to either 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. But if that’s the case, how is 6Ghz okay?

    Or maybe things in between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz ARE being used, but for different things that would break if WiFi started to use them, and if so, what are those things?

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      19·
      8 days ago

      Or maybe things in between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz ARE being used, but for different things that would break if WiFi started to use them, and if so, what are those things?

      Warning, this is an extremely large image. You will need to open it in it’s own window and zoom in.

      Once you have opened it in a new window, I’m sure you will be able to tell that the entire radio frequency spectrum is absolutely fucking packed to the gills. It’s all accounted for, everything from 3kHz to 300 GHz.

      Also, 2.4GHz is the frequency put out by microwave ovens, so they actually do interfere with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

      Finally, this is just how the US allocates the radio spectrum. Every country actually has their own different allocation system. If I recall correctly, Wi-Fi bands in the UK are slightly different.

      EDIT: Actually, just noticing that this is actually 22 years out of date, since it’s from 2003 (bottom left of image). Things have been changed around and re-allocated several times since then, but you get the idea. There’s a lot of groups who want access to these frequencies. Government agencies, military communications, space exploration, satellite communications, cellular telephone service, television broadcasting, civilian band radio, wi-fi and so on.

        • vaguerant@fedia.io
          4·
          8 days ago

          Stuff that doesn’t move. Like a terrestrial radio station, they have one big tower that broadcasts the station and it doesn’t physically go anywhere. That’s distinct from mobile radios like phones, CB radios, etc. which are always moving around all over the place and potentially causing interference. Fixed radio, you generally have a license for a specific geographic area and only you are allowed to use that band in that area. But then they can license it to somebody else at a distant location where it won’t interfere.