Wi-Fi 7 promises faster speeds, higher capacity, and reduced latency for time-sensitive applications. But will it live up to the hype? And with Wi-Fi’s typical client migration lags, what’s a realistic timeline for adoption?
Wi-Fi 7 promises faster speeds, higher capacity, and reduced latency for time-sensitive applications. But will it live up to the hype? And with Wi-Fi’s typical client migration lags, what’s a realistic timeline for adoption?
The IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT) standard, more commonly known as Wi-Fi 7, introduces new features and delivers several major improvements over Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
802.11be has a maximum speed of 46 Gbps. Enterprise deployments are unlikely reach or require the theoretical data rates due to the size and power limitations of a 16-spatial stream Access Point (AP). But 8-spatial stream enterprise APs can be expected to reach data rates up to 23 Gbps, with single-client data rates of around 5.6 Gbps for optimally located clients on a 320 MHz wide channel.
Wi-Fi 7 supports the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz radio bands, but it is the 6GHz band that can accommodate 320 MHz wide channels and thus produce the top speeds. Even so, we expect to see enterprises sticking to 20 MHz wide channels in the 2.4GHz band, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz in the 5 GHz band, and 80 MHz (perhaps 160 MHz) wide channels the 6 GHz band.
To leverage the benefits of Wi-Fi 7, both the AP and the client will need to be running 802.11be, and the upstream switch will need to support the bandwidth with multigigabit port speeds. Note that you'll also want to consider your Power over Ethernet (PoE) requirements when upgrading from Wi-Fi 6 or prior standards to allow for the additional 6 GHz radio operation.
Core features include:
* 16 spatial streams
* 320 MHz wide channels in the 6GHz radio band
* 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
* Multi-Link Operation
* Multi-RU
** Preamble puncturing
** Flexible channel utilization
Wi-Fi 7 promises unprecedented data rates, as well as increased network capacity and efficiency.
* 4096 QAM—Quadrature Amplitude Modulation converts digital data frames into an analog signal for wireless transmission. It improves spectral efficiency by varying the phase and amplitude of radio waves in such a way that more data can be detected from the signal. 4K-QAM (4096-QAM) provides a 20% data rate increase compared to the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for 1024-QAM.
* Multi-Resource Unit —This feature was optional in Wi-Fi 6e, but is standard in Wi-Fi 7. Essentially, it provides a way make more efficient use of RUs, which are small slices of wireless radio frequency that provide a way to concurrently support multiple users in heavy traffic. Wider channels contain more RUs, and multi-RUs let a single user leverage more than one RU in order to support more clients by providing more granular scaling support with the channels.
* MLO—MLO is a new feature introduced with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) which allows simultaneous operation of AP and client across separate bands and channels. Devices listening on multiple channels can monitor for changing channel quality and dynamically change the transmitting channel to improve reliability. MLO also allow for Wi-Fi band aggregation, which is the same idea as link aggregation in Junos for Juniper switches. It can increase throughput by allowing simultaneous transmission across two radio bands, thus providing redundancy. (Prior to Wi-Fi 7, a Wi-Fi connection was limited to a single band at a time.) Note that MLO requires both the AP and the client to operate on multiple bands. While Mist APs do support this, as of 2024, many clients are limited by power and a maximum of two antenna spatial streams.
* Preamble Puncturing—Also known as Punctured Transmission. Preamble puncturing is particularly useful in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, where wider channels are the norm. Essentially, it provides a way for the AP and client to carve out a small section of an occupied channel and give it over for the exclusive use of an interfering device. In this way, puncturing lets the AP and the client continue to use as much of the remaining channel spectrum as possible instead of having to scale back the entire channel to the smaller width. Preamble puncturing was optional in Wi-Fi 6e, but is standard in Wi-Fi
See the following video for more information about Wi-Fi 7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grWGtGwmFGY
Wi-Fi 7 is here, bringing ultra-fast speeds, lower latency, and enhanced efficiency. Is your network ready? Contact ICT Networks today to explore how Wi-Fi 7 can transform your connectivity and keep your business ahead of the curve.
Written by Johns William, Presales Consultant specialising in Network Infrastructure at ICT Networks.
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