What is Target Wake Time (TWT) in WiFi 6 (802.11 ax) and Its Benefits?

Introduction: Target Wake Time (TWT) is a revolutionary feature introduced in WiFi 6 (802.11ax) designed to improve the efficiency of wireless communication. It enables devices to schedule specific times for data transmission, minimizing unnecessary wake-ups and conserving power. This innovation is particularly beneficial for IoT devices, smartphones and other battery-powered gadgets in dense network environments. In this guide, we will explore what TWT is, how it works and the key benefits it brings to modern WiFi networks.

Introduction:
IEEE 802.11ax standard is the evolution of legacy 802.11 wifi standards such as 802.11a/g/n/ac. Previous standards have been developed mainly to focus on increasing raw data rates. 802.11ax has been developed to address issues faced in the previous standards as well as to add new advanced features. 802.11ax focuses on better efficiency, capacity and performance. TWT is one of the new features introduced to increase battery life.

What is TWT (Target Wake Time) in 802.11ax ?

OFDM symbol is longer in 802.11ax which is about 12.8 µs duration. There are three guard interval options viz. 0.8, 1.6 or 3.2 µs. The figure-1 depicts 802.11ax frame with AP and two client devices with wakeup and sleep times.

As shown it uses predefined uplink access. Wifi devices need not have to contend for uplink access. During the period when there is no transmissions wifi users will sleep and when they have transmissions they will wake up.

Benefits or Advantages of TWT in 802.11ax

➨It reduces power consumption by adopting sleep time. Hence battery life is increased.
➨It minimizes contention among stations by adopting scheduled uplink access. As there is no contention, congestion among stations can be minimized to a great extent.

Conclusion

Target Wake Time (TWT) is a game-changer in WiFi 6 technology, offering enhanced power efficiency, reduced network congestion and optimized performance for connected devices. By allowing devices to schedule wake times, TWT significantly extends battery life and ensures smooth operation even in crowded networks. As WiFi 6 adoption grows, TWT will play a crucial role in advancing smart homes, IoT ecosystems and mobile connectivity, making it an essential feature for the future of wireless communication.

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RF and Wireless Terminologies