The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun the certification process for Wi-Fi 7, ushering in a new era of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 provides confidence to end-users they’ll benefit from new features designed to enhance performance and connectivity across various environments.
The latest iteration of Wi-Fi promises significant advancements, catering to emerging technologies such as multi-user augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and extended reality (XR). The certification, a result of extensive collaboration within Wi-Fi Alliance, ensures global interoperability and a robust device ecosystem.
Wi-Fi 7 is poised for rapid adoption, with over 233 million devices expected to hit the market in 2024 and a staggering 2.1 billion devices projected by 2028. Early adopters include smartphones, PCs, tablets, and access points, with customer premises equipment and AR/VR equipment gaining traction.
Key features include:
- 320 MHz channels, enabling ultra-wide channels for multigigabit speeds
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO), facilitating simultaneous data transmission and reception over multiple links
- 4K QAM, achieving 20 percent higher transmission rates than its predecessor
- 512 Compressed block-ack, improving efficiency and reducing overhead
- Multiple RUs to a single STA, enhancing spectrum efficiency through improved spectrum resource scheduling flexibility
- Triggered Uplink Access to accommodate latency-sensitive streams
- Emergency Preparedness Communication Services (EPCS) for seamless emergency service experiences
Wi-Fi 7’s introduction has garnered support from industry leaders, with companies like Broadcom, CommScope, RUCKUS Networks, Intel, MaxLinear, MediaTek, and Qualcomm forming the testbed for certification. This ensures that Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 devices meet the highest standards.
Kevin Robinson, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, said: “This certification underscores our relentless commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that redefines the way users experience Wi-Fi.”
As the Wi-Fi 7 ecosystem expands, companies like Airties, Boingo, Broadcom, RUCKUS Networks, Intel, MaxLinear, MediaTek, and Qualcomm are at the forefront, actively participating in the certification process.
Metin Taskin, Co-CEO of Airties, highlighted the potential of Wi-Fi 7 to support broadband service providers’ plans and improve overall user experience: “Wi-Fi 7 provides unprecedented capacity and spectrum efficiency to support far more connections and immersive applications.
“By embracing smart Wi-Fi software that is truly standards-based, open-source, and hardware-agnostic, ISPs can gain maximum flexibility and control over subscribers’ home broadband experience.”
(Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash)
See also: BT introduces MAUD technology for enhanced live content
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