The new standard supports simultaneous W-Lan access for up to 25,000 users at speeds of 200Mbit/s. And as far as internet of things or IoT devices are concerned, previous Wi-Fi standards do not come anywhere close to the new technology for reliability. The new specification can also handle a greater number of larger data streams simultaneously. Messe Wien is opening up access to its Wi-Fi 6 connection free of charge for exhibition visitors and congress participants.

The new network officially entered into service on October 19, 2020. The Executive City Councilor for Business and Digital Innovation Peter Hanke, Reed Exhibitions Austria CEO Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein and Franz Semmernegg, CEO of Kapsch BusinessCom launched the system with a symbolic press of a red button. "Wi-Fi 6 is exactly the kind of specification we need to ensure that we remain successful as a venue for national and international events in future. Digital and hybrid meetings are becoming more and more important and call for additional capability when expanding the scope of digitalization. The launch of Wi-Fi 6 at Messe Wien shows that we are not flagging when it comes to investing in our digital infrastructure, and are working to consolidate the competitive edge of both the city and the location. This will help to put Vienna back at the very top of the meeting destination lists," Hanke explained.

"Working together for many years, the City of Vienna, technology partner Kapsch and Reed Exhibitions have helped transform Messe Wien into a leading location for congresses, exhibitions and events. Installing Wi-Fi 6 is another important step towards extending its lead and impressing our customers with the digital options we offer," noted Reed Exhibitions Austria CEO Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein.

"As a long-standing technology partner to Reed Exhibitions, we were really excited to install the Cisco Wi-Fi 6 solution in all parts of the Messe Wien site, adding a state-of-the-art network that means it is fully equipped to meet future requirements. As a driver of digitalization, Kapsch can continue to make a key contribution to the attractiveness of the event formats offered by Reed Exhibitions," added Kapsch BusinessCom CEO Franz Semmernegg.

Wi-Fi 6 – the new leading international standard

Wi-Fi 6 connectivity at Messe Wien opens up myriad new possibilities for digital and hybrid meetings. From smooth live streams at virtual events to live polls at in-person get-togethers, it has all the angles covered wherever rapid data transfer is needed.