(Updated Oct. 13, 2020; 5:41 p.m.) As the demand for high-speed internet connection surges amid distance learning and remote working, an internet service provider launches the latest innovation in wireless technology that promises an improved internet experience.
Converge ICT, the country’s premier pure end-to-end fiber internet service provider, announced on Wednesday that its subscribers will be the first ones to experience the advantages of Wi-Fi 6.
The telecommunications company has partnered with Linksys, an American brand of data networking hardware products, to deliver faster wireless signals in Filipinos through a tri-band wi-fi router that promises improved connectivity in residences.
Called the Linksys Velop MX5300 AX Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System, the router comes with next-generation orthogonal frequency-division multiple access technology that delivers high-speed wi-fi connection to multiple devices simultaneously.
The mesh system enables users to experience faster internet speeds since it is four times faster than the current wi-fi frequency through Wi-Fi 6, a router that delivers “true gigabit speeds” that can handle the latest streaming, gaming, and mobile technology.
Wi-Fi 6 provides a wider reach as well with 50% more coverage to devices that enable outdoor smart lights, cameras and other gadgets outside the house to connect to the internet at high speeds.
The mesh system also eliminates interference from nearby networks so users are assured of receiving strong and clear internet signals for their devices, even in large houses or through multiple floors.
The wi-fi router is likewise designed to manage the demand of more than 50 connected devices that are sharing the same bandwidth.
“The router’s MU-MIMO technology allows downloads and uploads simultaneously, making it the ideal system for instantaneous 4K/8K streaming, online gaming, social media, and uninterrupted use of heavy apps,” the firm said in a release.
Converge ICT founder and chief executive officer Dennis Anthony Uy says that the latest wireless technology “can enable families to further enjoy excellent simultaneous online activities anywhere in their homes” with the enhanced service delivery of the router.
“This will be especially useful for household with children having synchronous online classes while the parents are working at home, as well. There has been an increase in high-bandwidth usage with the new normal ushering everything online. Having this in place ensures that such activities are enjoyed impeccably at home,” Uy added.
Wi-fi of the future
The firm’s initiative comes at a time when distance learning has officially started as the academic year opened last Monday. It also comes as mainly non-essential workers continue to work from home amid the threat of the coronavirus disease.
Wi-Fi 6 is touted as the “next generation of Wi-Fi” that efficiently connects multiple devices to the internet and enables them to enjoy top speeds in busy environments where movie streaming, video chatting and playing a game can be done simultaneously without annoying lags.
“Wi-Fi 6 introduces some new technologies to help mitigate the issues that come with putting dozens of Wi-Fi devices on a single network,” an explainer from The Verge, a technology news website, reads.
“It lets routers communicate with more devices at once, lets routers send data to multiple devices in the same broadcast, and lets Wi-Fi devices schedule check-ins with the router. Together, those features should keep connections strong even as more and more devices start demanding data,” the article adds.
Wi-Fi 6 can also improve the battery life of low-power devices like smart home sensors and offer better network security that makes hacking wi-fi passwords difficult.
