Which IEEE Wi-Fi standard is commonly known as Wi-Fi 5?

IEEE 802.11ac is the wireless networking standard commonly marketed as Wi-Fi 5. It was introduced as a successor to 802.11n, the standard associated with Wi-Fi 4.

The standard operates in the 5 GHz band and uses wider channels, higher-order modulation, and multiple-input multiple-output techniques to increase throughput. Its theoretical maximum data rate is commonly stated as up to 6.93 Gbit/s under the most favorable supported configuration.

Real-world performance is lower because devices share airtime, signal strength changes with distance and walls, and network overhead reduces usable throughput. The advertised maximum therefore describes a technical ceiling rather than a normal internet speed.

Wi-Fi 5 is a marketing generation label, not the formal IEEE name. The IEEE designation is 802.11ac, while later generations include Wi-Fi 6 for 802.11ax and Wi-Fi 7 for 802.11be.