Capable of wireless downloads at a speed of over two gigabits per second
Wi-Fi Alliance now officially certifies devices to support Wi-Fi 7, the next generation of wireless home internet. With the certification, Wi-Fi 7 devices are guaranteed to be interoperable, and 2024 will see new technology products such as mobile phones, laptops and routers, meaning greater speed and efficiency compared to Wi-Fi 6E.
Wi-Fi 7 is a speed upgrade of Wi-Fi so to be able to transfer data at a faster rate than ever before. Apart from fast speeds and higher bandwidth, it also promises many innovative changes in wifi technology.
The Wi-Fi Alliance says in its announcement that Wi-Fi 7 will be better than existing standards for high-bandwidth streaming and gaming. Kevin Robinson, chief executive of the Wi-Fi Alliance, told The Verge that Wi-Fi 7 is “the first generation built from the ground up” referring to the 6GHz band – which covers a wider range while reducing interference.
The routers they are already on the market from companies like Netgear, TP-Link and Eero. The routers in question may receive certification in the future, however, according to the publication, they will be compatible with Wi-Fi 7 devices.
Aside from certification, nothing has changed about Wi-Fi 7 since the The Verge published a related guide last October. It still offers twice the channel bandwidth – from 160MHz to 320MHz – of the fastest Wi-Fi 5, 6 or 6E devices, and this means the ability to wirelessly download at speeds of over two gigabits per second.
It will also feature Multi-Link Operation (MLO) which combines multiple bands into one link. This means more stable connectivity on devices that sometimes lag when the wireless network is busy. MLO also offers a delay advantage. Typically, connections are limited by airtime – the time it takes the router to get past other queued devices to send data packets to the network. Robinson told The Verge that since all three zones will be available at the same time, there’s a “very, very good chance we’ll ship this package right away.”
The standard has other features which, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, will guarantee greater efficiency, performance and stability. Wi-Fi 7 devices will be compatible with previous Wi-Fi versions. However, older devices will not immediately benefit from the new features of a Wi-Fi 7 router, unlike new laptops and mobile phones.
