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O Wi-Fi 7 is already being developed by Wi-Fi Alliance announcement, organization responsible for the specifications and approval of this wireless technology. The new standard should offer faster connections, lower latency and better network management. To solve any doubts regarding the next generation, we will explain the benefits, frequencies, maximum speed and other details about the new Wi-Fi standard. Check out!
What is Wi-Fi 7?
O Wi-Fi 7, or IEEE 802.11b in the old nomenclature, is a new standard for wireless networks, being the direct successor to the Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) and the WiFi 6E (IEEE 802.11ax), released in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
This technology promises speeds up to four times faster compared to its predecessor, as well as improved stability and efficiency. However, just like its predecessors, to have access to all the features and performance improvements offered by Wi-Fi 7, you will need to purchase a compatible router as well as smartphones, laptops, etc.
What are the benefits of Wi-Fi 7?
The new standard is being developed to support a greater number of simultaneous connections and to maintain acceptable performance even in low-latency situations, benefiting high-resolution video playback and cloud gaming, as well as meeting the demand for virtual and augmented reality services, for example.
O Wi-Fi 7 it will also better manage congestion to avoid a significant decrease in the internet connection on networks with many connected devices. Another benefit of the next generation is that it will be more efficient in blocking interference caused by neighboring networks or other devices.
What frequencies and speeds does Wi-Fi 7 support?
The new version of Wi-Fi will support the same frequencies as Wi-Fi 6: 2,4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz. The main difference is that the last two bands will be used to aggregate a greater amount of data through a single channel, resulting in 320 MHz – the predecessor only reached up to 160 MHz. In countries that do not provide 6 GHz due to restrictions, the technology will have two 5 GHz channels (240 MHz).
Regarding supported speeds, the Wi-Fi 7 has throughput (EHT) extremely high. According to Wi-Fi Alliance announcement, this standard will deliver up to 40 Gbps, which is four times the capacity of Wi-Fi 6E (9,6 Gbps) and six times the performance of Wi-Fi 5 (6,9 Gbps).
Wi-Fi 7 Key Features
The new version of Wi-Fi should reach the market with several important technologies. Although the specifications have not been finalized, some features of the new standard have already been released. Check it out below:
Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
The Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is considered one of the main reasons the next generation offers high throughput. With it, devices will be able to transmit data using the three channels (2,4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz) to create a single channel of aggregated data, thus seeking to increase speed and reduce latency.
MLO is not an exclusive function of the Wi-Fi 7, but in this version it will allow you to operate between the 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequencies faster, since these spectra are close and can work, most of the time, without having to wait for the 2,4 GHz. Thus, it will be possible to avoid any type of slowness and, consequently, improve the performance of the network.
4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
The Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) can be found on older Wi-Fi generations. It serves to distribute multiple data packets by overlapping signals of multiple amplitudes and phases. However, this technology has been updated in the new standard with the addition of “4K QAM”. Compatible equipment will be able to override 4096 signals simultaneously. In terms of comparison, Wi-Fi 6 can only reach 1024. Thanks to this improvement, network capacity can be increased and latency reduced.
Automated Frequency Coordination
One of the main obstacles of current Wi-Fi networks (6 and 6E) is interference with other devices that use the same 6 GHz channel. To avoid this problem, the Wi-Fi 7 will have the feature of Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC).
In practice, this technology will collect data from antenna patterns and signal directions to create a database. Then, several calculations will be carried out to avoid interference in the analyzed areas and, where there are no “blocks”, the new Wi-Fi will be able to transmit its 6 GHz channels with maximum power, being able to operate with 63 times more energy.
Advantages of Wi-Fi 7 over Wi-Fi 6
In addition to implementing new features, the Wi-Fi 7 will also improve several existing technologies. For example, the MU-MIMO, a feature responsible for simultaneous data transmission, will have its flow increased to 16 — twice that of Wi-Fi 6. Multiple Access by Orthogonal Frequency Division (OFDMA) will also be improved. In the new standard, channels are now divided into Multiple Resource Units (MRU) to reduce interference and latency.
To reduce energy consumption, technology Target Wake Time (TWT) will put the device in a sleep mode when no network access is needed. The new standard will also bring the Restricted Target Wake Time (RTWT), which manages to reserve part of the bandwidth for a specific type of data transmission.
WiFi 7 Availability
How the Wi-Fi Alliance announcement has not yet finalized the specs and features of the new Wi-Fi standard, it is only expected to officially launch in 2024, with routers being pre-certified as early as next year.
Some companies have already announced chips compliant with the new standard. THE Qualcomm introduced the platform NetworkingPro, which includes the models 1220, 1620, 620 e 820 with cores Cortex-A73, while the MediaTek made two components official (Philic 880 e Philic 380) it's at Broadcom five: BCM67263, BCM6726, BCM43740, BCM43720 e BCM4398.
See also:
The Best Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E Routers to Buy in 2022.
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