Wi-Fi Self-Coexistence in the 6 GHz Band: An ns-3 Evaluation of LPI and SP Usage

2026-06-10

AI Summary

This study addresses the performance degradation caused by coexistence between standard-power (SP) and low-power indoor (LPI) devices in 6 GHz Wi-Fi networks. It presents the first systematic investigation of this issue, leveraging an ns-3-based simulation platform for heterogeneous-power Wi-Fi 6E/802.11ax coexistence. The work evaluates interference and throughput under diverse deployment scenarios, channel bandwidths (20–160 MHz), and BSS coloring configurations. Results reveal that indoor SP transmissions severely suppress LPI throughput, with 20 MHz channels suffering the worst interference while 160 MHz operation mitigates it. Physical obstructions improve fairness between indoor and outdoor deployments, and BSS coloring demonstrates limited effectiveness in mixed-power environments. The study provides a reproducible methodology and uncovers key mechanisms governing coexistence performance in 6 GHz Wi-Fi.

Abstract

The U.S. has adopted four power regimes for opera tion in the shared unlicensed 6 GHz band -- standard power (SP), low-power indoor (LPI), geofenced variable power (GVP), and very low power (VLP) -- with maximum permitted EIRP levels of 36 dBm, 30 dBm, 24 dBm, and 14 dBm, respectively. Although these regimes are primarily intended to protect incumbent services, their heterogeneous transmit power levels also introduce additional coexistence challenges within 6 GHz Wi-Fi networks. In this paper, we develop an ns-3 Wi-Fi 6E/802.11ax coexistence testbed to study coexistence under heterogeneous power regimes and to provide a reproducible simulation methodology. To the best of our knowledge, prior work has not specifically examined self-coexistence issues within 6 GHz Wi-Fi networks. We evaluate two coexistence scenarios: one in which both the LPI AP and the SP AP are indoors, and another in which the LPI AP is indoors while the SP AP is outdoors. Results are compared against an indoor LPI--LPI baseline when applicable. Our findings show that: (i) the presence of an indoor SP AP can significantly degrade the goodput of an LPI AP; (ii) channel bandwidth is a key factor in determining the extent of SP-to-LPI impact, with the degradation being most severe at 20 MHz and partially alleviated at 160 MHz; (iii) physical blockage between outdoor SP and LPI APs improves fairness; and (iv) BSS coloring does not necessarily improve fairness in mixed-regime deployments. The simulation framework can be extended to study coexistence between Wi-Fi and cellular systems, as recently proposed by Ofcom in the U.K.

Problem

• Wi-Fi self-coexistence
• 6 GHz band
• heterogeneous power regimes
• LPI
• SP

Innovation

• Wi-Fi 6E
• self-coexistence
• 6 GHz band
• ns-3 simulation
• heterogeneous power regimes