The 6 GHz band, or Wi-Fi 6E, has been marketed as the next big step in wireless networking. It brings new spectrum, more bandwidth, and less interference. On paper, it sounds perfect for high-performance environments.
But in the real world of warehouses and industrial facilities, the case for 6 GHz is still weak. Here’s why.
The 6 GHz band opens up a large amount of new spectrum between 5.925 GHz and 7.125 GHz. This allows for:
Wider 160 MHz channels for more throughput
Cleaner airspace with less interference from legacy Wi-Fi
More capacity in high-density deployments
These benefits make sense for offices, campuses, and stadiums. But when you step into a warehouse filled with steel racks, machinery, and handheld scanners, the reality looks different.
Warehouses are among the toughest environments for Wi-Fi.
Metal racking and machinery cause reflections and signal loss
High ceilings and long aisles make consistent coverage difficult
Layouts constantly change as stock moves
Many clients are legacy handheld devices with weak antennas
In these settings, reliability and range are far more valuable than sheer throughput.
Higher frequency means shorter range. 6 GHz signals lose more strength when passing through air, walls, and obstacles. Extreme Networks found that 6 GHz attenuates around 2 dB more than 5 GHz within the first metre. In metal-rich warehouse environments, this difference quickly becomes significant.
To maintain coverage, more access points are required, which increases cost and complexity.
Most industrial scanners, tablets, and IoT devices still use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Ruggedised client devices rarely support 6 GHz yet. Until that changes, there’s little point in designing a network around a band that few devices can even use.
Many warehouses extend to outdoor loading bays or yards. Outdoor 6 GHz usage is still restricted in many regions, especially for higher power levels. This limits its practicality in large mixed indoor/outdoor sites.
Common warehouse applications such as barcode scanning, inventory management, and VoWiFi do not demand high throughput. Wi-Fi 6 on 5 GHz already handles these efficiently. Without a high-bandwidth or latency-critical use case, 6 GHz provides no clear business benefit.
Another concern is that some vendors have started building access points with internal directional antennas rather than offering external options. While this may simplify installation and improve aesthetics in offices, it reduces flexibility in complex spaces like warehouses.
In environments with tall ceilings, long aisles, and varying layouts, external directional antennas are critical for controlling signal patterns and minimising interference. Fixed internal designs often cannot achieve the precise coverage shaping needed for reliable industrial Wi-Fi.
Upgrading to 6 GHz involves replacing access points, surveying for new propagation patterns, and potentially increasing AP density. Combined with the limited client support, the investment rarely justifies itself today.
6 GHz may be the future of Wi-Fi, but in warehouses it remains a solution looking for a problem.
Existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks already deliver stable, predictable performance when properly designed. Unless you are deploying emerging technologies like augmented reality, automated guided vehicles, or high-bandwidth sensors, 6 GHz adds little immediate value.
For now, there’s no proven large-scale warehouse deployment showing that 6 GHz significantly outperforms 5 GHz for typical logistics operations.
If you are designing or upgrading Wi-Fi in an industrial environment:
Focus on fundamentals
Design around existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz capabilities using directional external antennas for precise coverage.
Plan for the future, don’t rush
Choose tri-band access points that support 6 GHz, but disable the band until your device fleet and regulations catch up.
Use predictive and on-site surveys
Model 6 GHz propagation, but verify performance through testing before making it part of your production network.
Stay informed
Watch how the market develops, particularly as rugged devices begin adopting 6 GHz and outdoor rules evolve.
6 GHz Wi-Fi is exciting technology, but not yet a fit for most warehouses or industrial sites.
Signal loss, limited device support, outdoor restrictions, and inappropriate antenna designs all make it impractical for the environments that rely most on robust, predictable connectivity.
For now, it may will be worth sticking with well-designed 5 GHz networks, use proper external directional antennas, and treat 6 GHz as part of your long-term roadmap, not today’s solution.
At The WiFi Connection, we specialise in designing and deploying industrial-grade wireless networks that work in the real world, not just on paper.
