How does Wi-Fi 7 differ from Wi-Fi 6 and 6E?

Wi-Fi 7 is an improvement over Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, expected to replace wired networks due to its high bandwidth speed, but it is currently difficult to access.

A few years after the deployment of Wi-Fi 6 (2019) and Wi-Fi 6E (2021) for end-users, the development of the seventh-generation Wi-Fi network, also known as Wi-Fi 7, has begun. Some devices equipped with this network have emerged, although they have not been officially announced.

Wi-Fi 7 remains compatible with older network devices by operating on commonly-used frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, similar to Wi-Fi 6E. It is essentially an upgrade of Wi-Fi 6 rather than an entirely new technology. However, due to expanded bandwidth, the connection is significantly improved, especially in terms of faster and more stable downloads, reducing network congestion.

What’s new with Wi-Fi 7?

“Wi-Fi 7 is developed based on the IEEE 802.11be standard. The ‘be’ is used to differentiate it from previous Wi-Fi generations, such as Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). The name itself indicates that Wi-Fi 7 is an upgrade from Wi-Fi 6 rather than an entirely new technology. According to this standard, Wi-Fi 7 can achieve a maximum speed of 30 Gbps, which is three times faster than Wi-Fi 6’s 9.6 Gbps and nearly ten times faster than Wi-Fi 5’s 3.5 Gbps. This has led many experts to anticipate that the new Wi-Fi could replace wired Ethernet networks.

On end-user devices, according to Intel experts, a typical Wi-Fi 7 laptop can achieve a ‘potential maximum speed’ of around 5.8 Gbps. To achieve this number, Wi-Fi 7 doubles the maximum channel bandwidth to 320 MHz compared to 160 MHz on Wi-Fi 5, 6, and 6E routers.

“It’s a double-sized pipe that can hold more data,” commented The Verge.

The new Wi-Fi network supports the aggregation of multiple frequency bands into a single connection, known as Multi-Link Operation (MLO). This means that when downloading a file at a speed of 1 Gbps on the 6 GHz band and 700 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, MLO combines both to achieve a maximum download speed of 1.7 Gbps. If one of the bands loses connection for any reason, the remaining band continues to function, avoiding interruptions.

Wi-Fi 7 also doubles the number of MU-MIMO streams, which refers to simultaneous streams to and from different devices. Wi-Fi 6 supports 8×8 MU-MIMO, meaning the router with 8 antennas can communicate with 8 devices (or a device with 8 antennas) and transmit up to 8 concurrent streams to each device. With Wi-Fi 7, this number increases to 16×16.

However, routers have not fully utilized the potential of MU-MIMO. Most Wi-Fi 6E routers for end-users still have limitations. For example, the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 priced at $600 supports 4×4 MU-MIMO, and most smartphones and laptops only operate at 2×2 MU-MIMO.”

In reality, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E technologies are still being limitedly implemented. According to The Next Web, despite these technologies being officially developed for a few years now, the number of devices supporting them remains relatively small. The 6 GHz frequency band used for Wi-Fi 6E is not yet licensed in most countries.

According to experts, the development of IoT with devices requiring zero latency, along with the demand for high bandwidth and fast transmission speeds for 8K video streaming, AR/VR applications, and self-driving cars, are the issues that Wi-Fi 7 can potentially address.

“We have witnessed many innovations in areas that can benefit from the increased performance of wireless networks,” writes Android Authority.

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi 7 is expected to have the greatest impact in reducing latency and ensuring network stability, thus enabling useful applications in streaming video, cloud computing, virtual reality, augmented reality, and autonomous vehicles.

Smart home

One of the major challenges with wireless communication is latency or signal delay. If a router is “busy” due to multiple device connections, which is common in smart homes, congestion can occur, and each device needs to wait its turn.

Wi-Fi 7 addresses this issue by introducing additional data into the carrier wave using a technique called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Wi-Fi 6E also utilizes this approach but is more susceptible to signal interference. Essentially, Wi-Fi 7 bypasses interference, allowing for smoother data transmission—a factor that is lacking in smart homes.

However, OFDMA is not backward compatible with older devices. Therefore, even if users install a Wi-Fi 7 router, they also need compatible devices. If they use older products, the “queuing” issue will resurface. Thus, this technology is currently suitable for those who want to build an entirely new smart home system that can fully leverage the entire ecosystem.

To date, users have been able to purchase some Wi-Fi 7-supported devices, although it has not been approved by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Qualcomm has introduced the FastConnect 7800 mobile chip with Wi-Fi 7 since 2022. Samsung has also integrated the new Wi-Fi into the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Acer has implemented the technology in the Swift Edge 16-inch laptop. However, with limited availability and high costs of transmitting devices, it may be a while before average users can enjoy this high-speed Wi-Fi.

According to The Verge, for typical users, the current Wi-Fi standards are sufficient for their connections. “If you’re hoping Wi-Fi 7 can fix your entire network, users should wait a bit longer,” the publication comments. “With incomplete technical specifications and very few supported devices, users won’t see the benefits of the new Wi-Fi technology for many months or even years.”