With Wi-Fi 7 set to launch soon, exciting advances in wireless communication are in store, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance. The Wi-Fi 7 specification, also called Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7, is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of the following year and has the potential to completely change how we connect our gadgets.
Wi-Fi 7, which is based on IEEE 802.11be technology, should be accessible by the end of Q1 2024. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi 7 devices are currently available on the market, signaling the start of a new phase in which corporations and enterprises will use standardized hardware. It is projected that this standardization process will improve global interoperability and raise Wi-Fi performance to previously unheard-of heights.
Thanks to its remarkable 40 Gbit/s speed, Wi-Fi 7 is a serious rival to conventional cable Ethernet. The employment of three frequency bands—2.40 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz—along with a channel width of 320 MHz and 4096-QAM, allows for this amazing accomplishment. Wi-Fi 7 is a significant 4.8X improvement over Wi-Fi 6 and builds upon the foundation set by Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Features like MU-MIMO and OFDMA are included in Wi-Fi 7.
However, the transition to Wi-Fi 7 isn’t without its nuances. While numerous Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices are already on the market, they often adhere to the ‘draft’ Wi-Fi 7 specification. For the consumer, this may not pose significant issues, as firmware updates can bring these devices in line with the finalized standard. Yet, for enterprises operating in densely populated environments, fully ratified devices are essential due to the stringent frequency requirements.
What sets Wi-Fi 7 apart is its strategic positioning for the future. The Wi-Fi Alliance envisions Wi-Fi 7 as a key player in the realm of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), catering to the demand for high-capacity, low-latency technologies. This includes applications in AR/VR/XR, cloud computing, and Industrial IoT. Wi-Fi 7 is designed to deliver optimized performance, even in dense environments, providing unparalleled connectivity in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, with full scope experienced in regions with access to the 6 GHz band. As we approach the dawn of Wi-Fi 7, the prospect of seamless, high-speed wireless connectivity for a myriad of applications becomes increasingly tangible.