With the release of its CERTIFIED 7 program, the Wi-Fi Alliance formally welcomed the Wi-Fi 7 generation. Smartphones and other end-user devices have been formally certified as “Wi-Fi 7 ready” and can use the new standard.
Wi-Fi 7 is more than an insignificant update; it introduces many new capabilities to meet the needs of a wide range of applications. As the Wi-Fi Alliance pointed out, they include hybrid work settings, industrial IoT, automotive applications, multi-user AR/VR/XR, electronic gaming, 3-D training, and more.
In countries that can use the 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 7’s new 320 MHz channels will be a big deal. This doubling of the width of the widest channels in use today allows for device speeds of up to several gigabits and a dramatic increase in throughput. Another noteworthy feature is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to send and receive data across numerous links at the same time. Improved dependability, lower latency, and more throughput are the outcomes of this.
The addition of 4K QAM, which achieves transmission rates 20% greater than 1024 QAM, is another improvement. Efficiency and overhead are both enhanced by the use of 512 compressed blocks. With Wi-Fi 7, you may connect many Resource Units (RUs) to a single Station (STA), which improves spectrum efficiency and gives you more leeway to schedule your resources.
Triggered Uplink Access is an enhancement to Wi-Fi 6 that Wi-Fi 7 makes even better use of. Allows for streams that are latency-sensitive and satisfy Quality of Service (QoS) standards. In addition, the EPCS makes sure that the National Security & Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) service runs smoothly in Wi-Fi access networks, keeping service priority and quality intact during emergencies.
Market leaders in Wi-Fi 7 adoption include companies like CommScope RUCKUS Networks, Qualcomm, Intel, Broadcom, and MediaTek. Several popular processors are already prepared to support Wi-Fi 7, including MediaTek Dimensity 9200 and 9300, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, and many more.
Customer premises equipment (CPE) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices are projected to have a wider market impact when Wi-Fi 7 is adopted by smartphones, PCs, tablets, and access points.