The factory floor is no longer a patchwork of isolated PLCs. Today, Industrial IoT platforms capture thousands of data points per second from cobots, AGVs, sensors, and vision systems. That torrent only pays off if your wireless network keeps pace.
Two next‑generation options dominate the conversation: private 5G and Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax).
Each offers impressive advances over legacy networks, but they solve different pain points. In this deep dive, we unpack the strengths, trade‑offs, and deployment paths so you can align connectivity with business goals, not buzzwords.
Why Is Connectivity a Bottleneck for Modern IIoT?
Before we compare private 5G vs Wi-Fi 6, let’s make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to understanding why existing networks are beginning to strain under new workloads.
Data volumes are exploding
High‑definition cameras stream quality metrics in real time. AGVs broadcast location beacons at 10 Hz. Predictive‑maintenance nodes push vibration samples in the kilohertz range. A single assembly line can generate more traffic than the plant’s entire office network did a decade ago.
Deterministic latency is mission-critical
Stopping a 20‑kilogram cobot arm within its safety envelope requires control‑loop delays under 20 milliseconds. The network must keep jitter low even when dozens of devices contend for airtime.
Mobility and scalability
Forklifts, wearables, and autonomous carts roam the shop. Hard‑wiring every endpoint is impossible, and spectrum congestion grows as you add products and shifts.
Technology Primer
Here’s a quick refresher on what sets each wireless standard apart:
What is private 5G?
A private 5G network is a standalone cellular system that uses licensed, shared, or unlicensed spectrum inside your facility. You own or lease the small cells, SIM management, and core functions, giving complete control over quality of service and security.
IoT Analytics counts 1.28 million private 5G connections in 2023 and forecasts a 65% CAGR to 2030, driven largely by manufacturing use cases.
What is Wi‑Fi 6?
Wi‑Fi 6 enhances the familiar WLAN stack with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), 8×8 MU‑MIMO, and BSS Coloring. These features boost throughput and simultaneously serve many low‑power devices, making it ideal for dense sensor grids.
NXP’s March 2025 technical review highlights improved range, lower latency, and better energy efficiency for industrial clients.
Head‑to‑Head Comparison
| Metric | Private 5G | Wi‑Fi 6 | Impact on IIoT |
| Licensed spectrum | Yes (dedicated or CBRS), predictable RF environment | No, operates in 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz ISM bands, subject to interference | More consistent performance for safety‑critical links |
| Channel bandwidth | Up to 100 MHz per carrier | 20–160 MHz channels, often shared | Wi‑Fi 6 can deliver higher peak speeds but less determinism |
| Device density | 1 million devices per km² (URLLC profile) | ~2,000 devices per AP in congested scenarios | 5G scales better for thousands of tags and sensors |
| Latency (air interface) | <5 ms with uRLLC | 5–20 ms typical | Both meet many control needs, 5G tighter for motion stop |
| Handover & mobility | Seamless at walking/forklift speeds | Roaming gaps if APs poorly tuned | 5G preferred for AGVs and AMRs |
| Security model | SIM‑based, 3GPP‑grade encryption | WPA3‑Enterprise, certificate based | Comparable on paper; SIM swap gives 5G hardware roots of trust |
| DIY complexity | Requires spectrum access, EPC, and integration | Familiar WLAN skillset, faster pilot | Wi‑Fi 6 wins on time‑to‑value |
| Typical TCO | Higher CapEx, lower OpEx per device at scale | Lower CapEx, higher ongoing RF management | Choice hinges on fleet size and SLA requirements |
Table 1 – Core differentiators of private 5G and Wi‑Fi 6 for industrial environments.
When Does Private 5G Make Sense?
Below are 3 scenarios that showcase when private cellular shines compared to Wi‑Fi.
Ultra‑reliable AGV fleets
Logistics automation suffers when packets drop inside metal‑dense aisles. Ericsson’s 2024 award‑winning smart factory in Texas uses private 5G to keep dozens of AGVs on schedule while eliminating Wi‑Fi roaming delays.
High‑bandwidth video analytics
Edge‑based AI inspection rigs often need guaranteed uplink throughput for 4K streams. Licensed 5G channels avoid the unpredictable traffic bursts that plague Wi‑Fi in mixed office‑production campuses.
Multi‑tenant security
If contract manufacturers share floor space, SIM provisioning gives each tenant a logically isolated slice without separate physical infrastructure.
Where Wi‑Fi 6 Shines
On the other hand, Wi‑Fi 6 carries advantages that must be mentioned:
Brownfield retrofits
Most plants already run Wi‑Fi. Upgrading controllers and APs to Wi‑Fi 6 leverages existing PoE drops, minimizing downtime and cost.
Battery‑powered sensor swarms
Wi‑Fi 6’s Target Wake Time lets low‑power nodes sleep for scheduled windows. Energy budgets drop, extending battery life for vibration or environmental sensors.
Short‑term scalability
Pilot zones or seasonal lines can be stood up in hours with commodity Wi‑Fi 6 hardware, ideal when agility trumps deterministic performance.
Hybrid Networks: Best of Both Worlds
Few facilities will standardize on a single radio. The emerging blueprint pairs private 5G for motion‑critical and confidentiality‑sensitive traffic, with Wi‑Fi 6 handling non‑critical data bursts, laptops, and guest access.
ProphecyIoT simplifies this synergy:
- Unified data layer: Regardless of bearer, Prophecy normalizes MQTT or REST payloads into a single time‑series backbone.
- Edge gateway abstraction: Our gateways host both 5G SIM modules and Wi‑Fi radios, routing traffic based on topic priority.
- Analytics‑aware quality rules: Users can tag streams that must traverse the 5G slice, while less sensitive topics default to Wi‑Fi, conserving licensed bandwidth.
Implementation Roadmap
Follow these phased steps to move from pilot to full‑scale deployment.
1. Map use cases to SLAs
List machine‑to‑machine control loops, AR training apps, and IIoT telemetry, noting bandwidth, latency, and mobility needs.
2. Perform an RF site survey
Identify dead zones, reflective surfaces, and sources of interference. Private 5G’s sub‑6 GHz bands penetrate machinery better than 5 GHz Wi‑Fi.
3. Pilot in a contained cell
Start with one production line. Deploy dual‑mode ProphecyIoT gateways, a light EPC stack, and Wi‑Fi 6 APs. Compare KPIs such as packet loss and jitter.
4. Integrate security and identity
Leverage Prophecy’s certificate manager for Wi‑Fi 6 devices and eSIM lifecycle tools for 5G endpoints. Align policies with ISO 27001 and NIST 800‑82.
5. Scale and optimize
Expand coverage, tune handover thresholds, and split traffic classes. Use Prophecy dashboards to correlate network metrics with OEE and downtime.
Future‑Proofing Your Choice
Wireless standards evolve quickly. Keep these developments on your radar:
- 5G RedCap will bring lower‑cost, lower‑power chipsets into barcode scanners and wearables, shrinking the price delta versus Wi‑Fi.
- Wi‑Fi 7 promises deterministic latency via Multi‑Link Operation, but enterprise silicon will not hit mass production until 2026.
- Network slicing on private 5G lets you reserve throughput for safety PLCs while granting visitors internet access on a separate slice.
- Open‑Roaming frameworks may make credential handoff between 5G and Wi‑Fi seamless, simplifying hybrid device fleets.
Build the Backbone That Matches Your Goals
If you need millisecond‑level determinism, seamless mobility, and strict isolation, private 5G delivers. When rapid deployment, cost sensitivity, and battery life are paramount, Wi‑Fi 6 excels.
ProphecyIoT’s agnostic data fabric means you do not have to choose once and forever; you can evolve network strategy as product mix and scale grow.
Ready to benchmark which wireless path boosts your plant’s productivity? Contact the ProphecyIoT team today for a no‑obligation discovery session and see how hybrid connectivity plus real‑time analytics can unlock the next wave of manufacturing efficiency.
