802.11ay – EDMG: Because 60 GHz wasn’t crazy enough

So first we got 802.11ad and thought, “Cool, gigabit Wi‑Fi with beams and lasers.” But then IEEE said, “Hold my spectrum,” and dropped 802.11ay — aka Enhanced Directional Multi-Gigabit (EDMG). This one doesn’t just dip a toe into 60 GHz... it cannonballs into it.

Let’s talk spectrum madness

EDMG still lives in the 60 GHz band, which is kind of like the outer edge of Wi‑Fi sanity. Short range. No walls. Oxygen laughs at it. But it’s fast. Really fast.

We’re not doing 20 MHz or 80 MHz here. We’re throwing entire GHz at the problem:

• 4.32 GHz PPDUs – like bundling two 2.16 GHz streams together
• 8.64 GHz PPDUs – stack four of 'em, just for fun
• Duplicate Transmissions – EDMG lets you clone your 2.16 GHz PPDU across multiple adjacent channels like it’s building Wi‑Fi Voltron

These monsters are all defined in Clause 28 – the wildest part of the 802.11 standard. Think of it as the black-ops section for Wi‑Fi PHY engineers who live off Red Bull and RF burns.

What makes EDMG different?

802.11ad was directional. EDMG is extra directional. It doesn’t just point antennas – it weaponizes them. Beamforming is baked in. Everything must be precise. No multipath welcome. You either hit the target or you don’t transmit.

Also, unlike older standards, you’re not dealing with MHz-level granularity. This is GHz Wi‑Fi. It’s like moving from water pistols to pressure washers.

MAC’s still doing its best

The MAC layer under EDMG is holding on for dear life. It reuses a lot from DMG (802.11ad) but needs to keep up with:

• Insane aggregation sizes – EDMG PPDUs must include EOF Padding when packing in those A-MPDUs
• Capability signaling – still using that old DMG Capabilities element, but now with EDMG superpowers
• PHY type flag – in the MIB, it proudly wears the number 15. If your device has it, congrats, you're EDMG-ready

Secure Ranging – Wi‑Fi gets spooky accurate

Now this is cool: EDMG doesn’t just blast bits – it also does ranging with PHY-level security. That means secure training fields inside the PPDU that let your AP say, “You’re definitely 3.4 meters away, and I’m sure of it.”

Great for presence detection, indoor tracking, and freaking out your cat.

Why this matters (or doesn't)

Let’s be honest: 60 GHz Wi‑Fi isn’t for everyone. If your house has more than one wall or you're trying to game in the basement, forget it.

But if you want uncompressed 8K video over the air, at short range, in a line-of-sight studio setup, EDMG is your jam. It’s not mainstream – it’s Millimeter-Wave Punk Rock Wi‑Fi.

Also, you get to say things like “my PPDU spans 8.64 GHz,” and that's worth something.

802.11ay = EDMG = Wi‑Fi that says screw your drywall.
Huge channels, tight beams, secure ranging, and duplicate transmissions like it's cloning RF sheep. It’s not Wi‑Fi for the masses – it’s Wi‑Fi for the brave.