We must give thanks to Wi-Fi, that invisible hero that connects our lives, work and leisure spaces. It makes everything possible, from being able to watch our favorite series on the couch, to sending memes from the kitchen and working on video calls without leaving the desk.
It’s like air: you don’t see it, but if it’s missing, you notice it… and how!
But, like every hero, Wi-Fi also has its villains. As we leave the wires behind and fill the house with devices, the Wi-Fi spectrum becomes more congested than the subway during rush hour. And if you live in a building, each neighbor has their own Wi-Fi fighting for space, separated only by a wall. Result?. Interference from all sides, as if everyone wanted to talk at the same time at a party.
Mesh networks, those that promise full coverage at home, also have their trick: they use the same channels so you can walk around without losing the signal, but sometimes they step on each other, like brothers fighting over the remote control. And if you’ve ever tried to transfer photos or videos over direct Wi-Fi between two devices, you’ve probably noticed that the connection gets slow, drops, or just decides to take a break. The same thing happens in modern cars, which offer Wi-Fi to passengers, but when passing through areas full of signals, the connection becomes a roller coaster.
The cause of all these evils? Two types of interference: shared channel interference (when several Wi-Fi use the same channel, as if they all wanted to talk on the same walkie-talkie) and adjacent channel interference (when neighboring channels get in where they shouldn’t, like noisy neighbors). This translates into slow internet, with frequent outages, and that frustration of seeing how the video stops loading just at the best moment.
Solutions?
There are a few, like changing channels or letting the router decide for you, but sometimes that just complicates things: disconnections, unresponsive devices, and the feeling that Wi-Fi has a life of its own.
That’s why the new generation of anti-interference technology is here to save the day. Imagine a Wi-Fi that knows how to avoid problems, that maintains speed and stability even in the most saturated environments. It’s like having a superhero in your home, ensuring your connection is always fast, reliable and drama-free.
At MediaTek we are developing different technologies based on standards and also on our own characteristics to mitigate interference and respond to different use cases:
• Universal Bandwidth Adaptation (UBA): In places where there is interference between Wi-Fi networks, UBA automatically adjusts the bandwidth and speed to choose the most appropriate option. This helps reduce interference issues, improves connection reliability, increases speed, and reduces wait time.
• Custom Preamble (CPP): Using the flexibility of certain advanced features, CPP allows access points and devices to share information about interference that is not easily seen. Thus, they can avoid problems caused by “hidden” devices and improve the performance of the entire network.
• Enhanced Spatial Reuse (ESR): ESR is designed to improve the use of space in networks with a single access point. This technique helps distinguish Wi-Fi signals from other nearby networks, even over medium or long distances, improving the network’s ability to avoid interference.
• Coordinated Spatial Reuse (CSR): CSR is designed especially for Mesh networks with multiple access points. It allows routers to work together, adjusting transmission power so that each has more uptime, less interference, and better opportunities to transmit data within the Mesh network.
At MediaTek we are developing different technologies based on standards with their own characteristics to mitigate interference
So the next time your Wi-Fi works perfectly, remember: behind that signal there is an entire invisible battle. And thanks to anti-interference technology, you just have to enjoy.
By Amikam Yalovetzky, Senior Corporate Communications Manager at MediaTek
