Proximus makes Wifi 6E available to its customers provided they have a high-end subscription with the latest hardware. The provider is thus making the 6 GHz band accessible to the general public.

Proximus is rolling out Wifi 6E to existing customers. This may need a refresher: Wifi 6E is a variant of the Wifi 6 standard. Wi-Fi 6 includes a variety of improvements that enable more stable and faster wireless connections, but operates on the same crowded 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands as its predecessors. Wifi 6E retains the Wifi 6 standard but adds wireless connections in the 6 GHz frequency band. Proximus is the first provider to offer this option to its customers.

Three conditions

Not everyone will receive WiFi 6E immediately and the 6 GHz band Proximus imposes a number of conditions. First and foremost, you need compatible hardware. Customers must therefore have an Internet Box+. Wi-Fi Booster+ access points are also compatible.

Next comes the option Identical configuration on all frequency bands are definitely activated. This means that your router broadcasts the same SSID across all frequency bands and the device itself chooses on which band it serves a device. Also WPA3-Personal Transition You have to activate it. You do this via the settings of your Internet Box+.

Finally, you must have the right subscription. Proximus is starting the rollout to Ultra Fiber customers with the Flex Ultra Fiber package. Other Ultra Fiber and Giga Fiber customers with an Internet Box+ will follow in the coming months. If you meet all the conditions, be sure to keep your Internet Box+ switched on until July 2nd.

Suitable laptops and smartphones

To take advantage of WiFi 6E, you also need compatible endpoints. Think of brand new smartphones and laptops. The Proximus router will automatically connect this via the 6 GHz band where possible. It has a high throughput speed and is not used by other devices. In theory, this makes for a better and faster connection, although the higher wavelength of the signal is more sensitive to thick walls.

WiFi 6E is not a necessity today, but a luxury. The additional frequency band brings more speed and flexibility to your wireless network. You are not a customer (with the right hardware) but still excited about WiFi 6E? Of course, you can also buy compatible routers yourself.