Earlier this week at CES 2024, the Wi-Fi Alliance unveiled Wi-Fi 7, which updates the networking standard in a number of ways. Users can anticipate additional features with Wi- Fi 7, including Multi-Link Operation, compatibility for 320MHz Wi-Fi network channels, and 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, alongside enhanced speed expected to surpass Wi-Fi 6E by up to four times.. Over the course of 2024, more Wi Fi 7 compatible routers and gadgets should become available.
In comparison to Wi-Fi 6E networks, which have a peak speed of 10Gbps, Wi Fi 7 — or IEEE 802.11be — offers rates of up to 40Gbps, according to information released by the Wi-Fi Alliance on Monday during the unveiling of the newest IEEE standard. It’s important to remember that although while Wi Fi -7 is backwards compatible, you can only benefit from the faster speeds if both your router and phone are compatible with Wi Fi 7.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Enhancing Wi-Fi 7 Performance
Accompanying Wi Fi 7 comes Multi-Link Operation (MLO), a significant enhancement. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, this functionality enables devices on the network to simultaneously send information and data over many frequency bands, reducing latency while also increasing network reliability.
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Wi-Fi 7 also supports wider channel bandwidth, increasing network throughput. With Wi-Fi 6E networks, you will have access to a greater bandwidth of 320MHz, which is an increase from 160MHz. Like W-Fi 6E, which debuted in 2021, it also makes use of the new band, which should lessen network congestion on older Wi-Fi networks.
A further noteworthy improvement in Wi-Fi 7 is 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). Users can expect up to 20% quicker data transmission rates on cellular networks. While the ten-year-old Wi-Fi 5 standard debuted with 512-QAM, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E networks supported 1024-QAM.
While new routers with Wi Fi 7 support debuted at CES 2024, it may take some time before new gadgets adhering to the standard become available. Certain devices already support Wi-Fi- 7 networks, such as those running Intel’s most recent 14th Gen Core Ultra CPUs and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 series of chips.
With its forthcoming products, which are anticipated to launch later this year and include the iPhone 16 Pro models, which are anticipated to be outfitted with the company’s next-generation silicon, Apple is anticipated to provide compatibility for Wi Fi 7 networks in the interim. The Wi-Fi Alliance projects that over 233 million Wi-Fi -7 devices will be sold this year.
