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Wireless & Mobility · Intermediate

Spatial Stream (SS)

An independent data stream transmitted simultaneously from separate antennas on the same channel.

Definition

Spatial multiplexing sends unique streams that the receiver separates using multipath differences. The number of streams is limited by the lower of the transmitter's and receiver's capabilities. Each additional stream multiplies data rate.

Example

A 2x2:2 phone and a 4x4:4 AP communicate using 2 spatial streams.

Exam tip

Usable streams equal the minimum supported by both sides.

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