Wi-Fi 6E introduced a new 6 GHz spectrum superhighway to Wi-Fi users and it is the most important milestone for Wi-Fi in the past 15 years. Now, that superhighway is venturing somewhere it’s never been before.
Extreme was proud to introduce the popular Wi-Fi 6E indoor Access Points AP4000 and AP5010. Following the same tradition Extreme is proud to announce the industry’s first Wi-Fi 6E Outdoor access point – AP5050. 6 GHz Wi-Fi outdoors will be assisted by Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC), which is expected to be approved in the United States in early 2023, with other countries to follow. For customers looking to refresh infrastructure to accommodate business needs, 6 GHz capable APs provide a future-proof option to buy Wi-Fi 6E access points, deploy now, and enable 6 GHz when the regulatory rules in countries are ratified.
To help our customers connect everyone, everywhere, securely all the time, the AP5050 aligns with the rest of the Extreme portfolio under a unified and secure architecture. The AP5050 Access Point is a Universal Access Point offering the flexibility to be managed on-premises or in the cloud via ExtremeCloud™ IQ, and be securely managed in tandem with all other Extreme or 3rd party and IoT devices.
The AP5050 is a tri-radio access point with 4×4:4 Wi-Fi radios that will provide coverage and mobility in all three frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and yes, 6 GHz. These radios are software programmable and intelligently monitored to provide optimal client performance and security.
All three Wi-Fi radios are fully functional within 802.3at PoE plus power. Much like the AP5010, you will save money on your energy bill and simplify your switching infrastructure with this access point.
Customers can order the AP today and the product will ship in Q4 CY22. The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios are operational today; while the 6 GHz radio will be enabled in 2023 when AFC approval happens.
The AP5050 series consists of two SKUs: the 5050D and the AP5050U to allow for a range of flexible deployment options.
AP5050D is a directional access point that features software selectable 30 and 70 degree antennas, and can be pole or wall mounted.
AP5050U is an omni antenna access point that can be deployed on a pole or under your seat.
If you are in the United States, Canada, European Union, Australia, and New Zealand the AP5050U and AP5050D are available for order today.
Stay tuned for more updates in other regions of the world.
This blog was originally authored by Jeevan Patil, Senior Director, Product Management
