80211ay

IEEE 802.11ay is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard family that extends high-throughput operation for 60 GHz wireless LANs, building on 802.11ad (WiGig). It introduces enhancements to the physical and MAC layers, including wider channel bandwidths, refined modulation, improved beamforming, and multi-user MIMO to support multiple simultaneous links.

Operating in the unlicensed 60 GHz band, 802.11ay relies on directional antennas and beamforming to overcome path loss and sustain short-range links. It targets line-of-sight connections, with performance degraded by obstacles. The standard uses wide channels and channel bonding to increase throughput.

Key features include improved beam management, enhanced channel access mechanisms, and support for multi-user operations to enable several devices to share the same spectrum more efficiently. These capabilities aim to deliver higher peak data rates and lower latency in dense environments compared with 11ad.

Applications envisioned for 802.11ay include wireless docking and display connectivity, high-definition media transfer, and other short-range, high-throughput links such as wireless VR/AR streaming or backhaul connections. The standard is intended for scenarios where proximity and directional links can be maintained.

Adoption and status: 802.11ay was standardized in the early 2020s as an evolution of 802.11ad. Implementations exist from several chipset vendors, and devices using 60 GHz Wi‑Fi appear in enterprise and consumer contexts, though regulatory and practical deployment remain limited by range and line-of-sight requirements. Related standards include 802.11ad and other 60 GHz wireless technologies.