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Hardware & Industry 4.0

What is Wi-Fi 7?

Quick answer

The wireless networking standard based on IEEE 802.11be, designed for faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.

Wi-Fi 7, explained

Wi-Fi 7 builds on Wi-Fi 6 and 6E with several major upgrades. It supports wider 320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band, more efficient data encoding called 4096-QAM, and multi-link operation, which lets a device use several frequency bands at the same time for higher throughput and more stable connections.

These improvements target demanding uses like high-resolution video streaming, cloud gaming, virtual and augmented reality, and homes or offices crowded with connected devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance began certifying Wi-Fi 7 devices in early 2024. To benefit fully, both the router and the device need Wi-Fi 7 support, and 6 GHz availability depends on regulations in each country. Real-world speeds are typically well below theoretical maximums.

Related terms

Bandwidth

The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second.

Latency

The time delay between a request being sent and a response beginning to arrive, usually measured in milliseconds.

Mesh Network

A network in which devices, or nodes, connect directly to multiple other nodes and relay data for each other.

Mesh Wi-Fi

A home or office Wi-Fi system that uses several linked access points to spread one strong, continuous wireless network across a whole space.

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