Netgear Debuts Wi-Fi 6E NightHawk Router … with $599 Price Tag

By Daniel Frankel
( NextTV )
last updated

CES 2021: Tapping into that additional 1,200 MHz of wireless spectrum doesn’t come cheap

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500
(Image credit: Netgear)

The biggest upgrade to Wi-Fi technology in decades doesn’t come cheap.

Tied to the virtual CES conference, Netgear on Monday introduced one of the first routers built around the new Wi-Fi 6E standard, the tri-band enabled Nighthawk RAXE500.

Price: $599.

Also Read: Wi-Fi Gets Its Biggest Upgrade in Decades

Introduced in 2019, Wi-Fi 6 represented a major evolution in the way routers communicated with devices, making signal exchanges much more efficient. The just-introduced Wi-Fi 6E standard (the “E” standing for “extended”) uses an additional 1,200 MHz of unlicensed spectrum recently freed up by the FCC.

As more people communicate with more devices than ever in densely crowded areas, the additional spectrum is crucial for keeping signals from bumping into one another. 

As the “tri-band” capability suggests, the RAXE500 supports the traditional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, in addition to 6 GHz. 

It has five gigabit ports and two USB 3.0 ports, and contains a quad-core 1.8 GHz processor.

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!