RFWLAN 802.11ac Data Rates Explained
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This page provides a breakdown of the WLAN 802.11ac data rates. The following table outlines the 802.11ac data rates for 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160 MHz bandwidths across various modulation and coding schemes (MCS).
All data rates listed assume a short Guard Interval. Note that MCS 9 is not permitted for 20MHz bandwidths. Also, MCS9 is not supported for 6 spatial streams in 80 MHz bandwidth and for 3 spatial streams in 160 MHz bandwidth.
The data rates given for 20 MHz represent a single stream. For 40, 80, and 160 MHz, the rates are for 8 streams.
Channel width multiplication factors are as follows: 1 for 20MHz BW, 2.1 for 40MHz, 4.5 for 80 MHz, and 9 for 160 MHz.
The values presented for 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160MHz are for 8 Spatial Streams (SS). To determine the rate for a single stream, simply divide the given value by 8.
| MCS | Type | 20 MHz (1 SS) | 40MHz (8 SS) | 80MHz (8 SS) | 160MHz (8 SS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCS 0 | 7.2 Mbps | 120 Mbps | 260 Mbps | 520 Mbps | |
| MCS 1 | 14.4 Mbps | 240 Mbps | 520 Mbps | 1040 Mbps | |
| MCS 2 | 21.7 Mbps | 360 Mbps | 780 Mbps | 1560 Mbps | |
| MCS 3 | 28.9 Mbps | 480 Mbps | 1040 Mbps | 2080 Mbps | |
| MCS 4 | 43.3 Mbps | 720 Mbps | 1560 Mbps | 3120 Mbps | |
| MCS 5 | 57.8 Mbps | 960 Mbps | 2080 Mbps | 4160 Mbps | |
| MCS 6 | 65 Mbps | 1080 Mbps | 2340 Mbps | 4680 Mbps | |
| MCS 7 | 72.2 Mbps | 1200 Mbps | 2600 Mbps | 5200 Mbps | |
| MCS 8 | 86.7 Mbps | 1440 Mbps | 3120 Mbps | 6240 Mbps | |
| MCS 9 | n/a | 1600 Mbps | 3466.7 Mbps | 6933.3 Mbps |
