Overview of WiFi 7
WiFi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, is the next generation of WiFi that promises faster speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity compared to previous standards. It is the successor to WiFi 6 and 6E and is expected to be finalized in 2024.
WiFi 7 will utilize the 6 GHz band in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands used by current WiFi. The additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band will allow for wider channels up to 320 MHz wide, resulting in multi-gigabit speeds.
Some of the key improvements expected with WiFi 7 include:
- Faster top speeds – Maximum theoretical speeds up to 30 Gbps, 4x faster than WiFi 6. Real-world speeds will be lower but still faster than existing WiFi.
- Low latency – Latency reduced to sub-millisecond levels, crucial for time sensitive applications.
- Increased capacity – More devices will be able to connect reliably to the network at the same time.
- Better coverage – Improved range over WiFi 6 through techniques like multi-link operation.
Faster Speeds
One of the most touted features of WiFi 7 is the ultra-fast top speeds it will provide – up to 30 Gbps theoretical maximum. This is enabled by:
- Wider channels – WiFi 7 will use the 6 GHz band which provides wider channel sizes up to 320 MHz. This allows more data to be transmitted at once.
- Multi-link operation – Devices can combine multiple channels/bands simultaneously to increase throughput.
- 4096-QAM modulation – Higher order modulation packs more bits per waveform, increasing efficiency.
Real-world speeds will be lower due to overhead and network conditions. However, we can still expect to see 2-3X faster speeds than WiFi 6 in many cases. Multi-gigabit speeds will become a reality over WiFi.
Lower Latency
In addition to raw speed, WiFi 7 also aims to provide much lower latency down to sub-millisecond levels.
Key techniques that allow WiFi 7 to achieve low latency:
- Multi-RU puncturing – Allows priority for latency-sensitive traffic.
- Preamble puncturing – Reduces airtime overhead.
- Uplink OFDMA – More efficient uplink transmissions.
This super-low latency opens up new use cases for WiFi such as AR/VR, cloud gaming, and industrial automation. Latency-sensitive applications will perform much better on WiFi 7 networks.
Greater Network Capacity
WiFi 7 builds on the OFDMA and MU-MIMO capabilities of WiFi 6 to provide greater overall network capacity. More devices will be able to connect reliably and get higher data rates.
- Multi-link operation – Increases capacity by allowing more simultaneous data streams.
- UL/DL balancing – Adaptively shifts capacity between uplink and downlink.
- Congestion control – New methods avoid congestion from many users.
Businesses, public venues, and dense residential areas will benefit most from the increased WiFi capacity. Even heavily loaded networks will provide acceptable performance.
Improved Coverage
Range is expected to improve over WiFi 6 thanks to multiple innovations:
- 6 GHz support – Signals in 6 GHz propagate farther than 5 GHz.
- Multi-link – Combining different bands/channels extends range.
- Improved beamforming – More precise targeting of wireless energy.
Better coverage means we can expect more reliable connections in challenging areas like outdoor spaces or far corners of offices. Fewer dead zones and drop-offs should occur.
Backwards Compatibility
Importantly, WiFi 7 is expected to be backwards compatible with earlier standards. However, you will need WiFi 7 compliant devices and routers to take advantage of the new capabilities.
WiFi 7 clients will be compatible with:
- WiFi 6E routers – Connects using 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands
- WiFi 6 routers – Connects with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz only
- Older WiFi 5/4 routers – Falls back to these legacy modes
So you will be able to incrementally upgrade your network over time without replacing everything.
Release Timeframe
WiFi 7 is still under development but is on track for release by 2024. The key timeline is:
- 2021-2022 – Initial IEEE 802.11be draft standard work.
- 2023 – WiFi 7 testing and interoperability events.
- 2024 – Official 802.11be WiFi 7 standard ratified. Vendor product development.
- 2025 – First WiFi 7 compatible routers and devices hit the consumer market.
However, we may see a “pre-standard” version of WiFi 7 hardware by 2024 before formal ratification. But fully interoperable products will take longer.
Use Cases
Here are some of the main use cases and scenarios where WiFi 7 will provide the most benefits:
- AR/VR applications – Low latency critical for best experience.
- 8K video streaming – Requires high bandwidth and low latency.
- Smart homes – Connecting many IoT devices efficiently.
- Autonomous vehicles – Reliable high-speed vehicle-to-infrastructure links.
- Industrial automation – Time-sensitive communications for robots and machines.
- Cloud gaming – Fast speeds and low latency for responsive gameplay.
- High-density venues – Serving many concurrent users in public spaces.
For everyday uses like web browsing, WiFi 7 will provide faster speeds. But the low latency unlocks entirely new wireless capabilities not possible before.
Potential Issues
While WiFi 7 will be a big leap forward, there are some challenges and limitations to consider:
- 6 GHz adoption – The 6 GHz band requires regulatory approval and is not available globally.
- Multi-gigabit ethernet – May require upgrades from standard 1 GbE networking gear.
- Cost – The first WiFi 7 products will likely be expensive. Only comes down over time.
- Security – Additional vulnerabilities from 6 GHz support will need to be addressed.
As with any new standard adoption, expect some growing pains before the technology matures. But the overall capabilities will still be a big upgrade over WiFi 6.
Conclusion
WiFi 7 aims to make wireless networks faster, more responsive, and more capable than ever. The combination of multi-gigabit speeds, near instant response times, and robust capacity will enable new kinds of wireless services. While it may take to 2025 before it is widely available, WiFi 7 represents an exciting future for WiFi connectivity.
