Wi-Fi 7: What is It, What is It for and All the New Wi-Fi Standard Features

Wi-Fi 7: What is It, What is It for and All the New Wi-Fi Standard Features

It’s official: the Wi-Fi 6 successor, which also improves the current Wi-Fi 6E, has been announced and is now available on compatible devices. Here, you’ll find the most up-to-date information and feature list of the Wi-Fi 7.

When Will Wi-Fi 7 Be Released?

On January 9, 2024, Wi-Fi 7 was officially announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. With its arrival, 18 devices have been certified, including those from companies like MediaTek, TP-Link, and Amazon.

Wi-Fi 7 at a Glance

Wi-Fi 7 is the successor to Wi-Fi 6 and is capable of speeds up to 46 Gbps, which is nearly five times faster than the previous standard. This is a significant improvement in speed, as Wi-Fi 6E was working at less than 10 Gbps.

What Improvements Will Wi-Fi 7 Bring?

Wi-Fi 7, also known as the 802.11be version, is an upcoming wireless standard that promises to deliver better performance, bandwidth, and efficiency than Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. It will come equipped with new technologies, including Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which is expected to be a key feature for ensuring the smooth operation of Wi-Fi 7.

MLO is a solution that optimizes channel aggregation, allowing for the simultaneous use of different channels to transmit data packets. This results in low latency when using multiple bands at the same time.

With Wi-Fi 7, users will be able to operate on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz channels, providing a significant improvement in overall connectivity. Theoretically, this standard can reach speeds of up to 48 Gbps, which is almost four times faster than the 10 Gbps that can be obtained using a Wi-Fi 6 router.

The bandwidth capacity of Wi-Fi 7 is twice as that of Wi-Fi 6, with an increase from 160 MHz to 320 MHz. Additionally, the MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) capacity is also doubled, which is also known as Wi-Fi 802.11ac. This technology enables higher transfer rates, greater coverage distances, user capacity, and reliability. In this case, it goes from 8 to 16 spatial streams.

Each “stream” is a data transmission between transmitter and receiver. The more streams there are, the more data can be sent and received. Therefore, doubling these figures is particularly important with Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi 7 is expected to provide speeds that are similar to wired standards such as USB 4 (capable of transferring up to 40 Gbps). In short, it’s a standard for a much faster, more capable, and efficient Wi-Fi.

MediaTek has already introduced the first Wi-Fi 7 network, and the results are promising. They claim to be able to achieve the maximum speed defined by IEEE 802.11be, which could be an indication that Wi-Fi 7 could be a replacement for Ethernet cables.

What is Wi-Fi 7 for?

But, why would we need such fast speeds at home anyway?

Manufacturers like MediaTek state that Wi-Fi 7 will serve as a crucial foundation for delivering 4K and 8K content playback, with the latter being particularly limited. Additionally, it will reduce latency in gaming, which is an important factor in the era of game streaming.

Wi-Fi 7 will also facilitate the growth of the much-discussed Metaverse, paving the way for augmented and virtual reality experiences with minimal latency and a more stable connection. While the primary goal of Wi-Fi 7 is to approach the transfer capacity of cable, this new standard will provide a strong foundation for the development of emerging technologies, including those mentioned above.

The key benefits of Wi-Fi 7 include:

• 320 MHz channels: These are available in countries where the 6 GHz band is open for Wi-Fi use. These channels are ultra-wide which double the width of the widest existing channels, providing faster device speeds and higher throughput.
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): It enables devices to send and receive data simultaneously through multiple links, improving throughput and reducing latency.
• 4K QAM: This allows for transmission speeds that are 20% faster than those using 1024 QAM.
• 512 compressed block-ack: It improves efficiency and reduces transmission overhead.
• Multiple RU to a single STA: This improves the flexibility of spectrum resources, which in turn improves efficiency.
• Triggered uplink access: It optimizes Wi-Fi 6 defined link access to accommodate latency-sensitive transmissions and meet QoS requirements.
• Emergency Preparedness Communication Services (EPCS): They provide a Security & Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) service experience while maintaining the priority and quality of service in Wi-Fi networks.

What Devices Will Support Wi-Fi 7?

The first Wi-Fi 7-compatible device, the IQxel-MX Wi-Fi 7, was introduced even before its official launch. This device is a LitePoint test system that is capable of testing the capabilities of the future protocol.

As it’s usually the case, after the standard is officially launched, the latest generation devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and routers will start offering support. Wi-Fi 7 will also be backward-compatible with devices that were compatible with previous protocols.

Wireless devices that do not officially support Wi-Fi 7 will still be able to connect to it, but they won’t be able to benefit from all the new standard features.