Over the past few decades, Wi-Fi has become the wireless internet technology of choice for small connected spaces around the world. Those looking to bring a stable, fast wireless network to their home, office, coffee shop or educational institution default to Wi-Fi. Previous generations of Wi-Fi had some notable limitations compared to wired internet connections -- but a lot has changed since then. Recent generations of Wi-Fi have seen dramatic improvements in power, reliability, security, and speed of connection standards.

The next big release of Wi-FI is Wi-FI7, which will bring a slew of practical improvements, including lower latency, faster data speeds, improvements to the smart home, and improvements to networks that connect to a large number of devices. As with every upgrade, the same questions arise: what is Wi-Fi 7, what does it bring, and when will it arrive? Should we upgrade?

What is Wi-Fi?

Let's start with the basics. Wi-Fi is the abbreviation of WirelessFidelity, which is a brand name of a communication standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). This group decides what the next generation of Wi-Fi will include. Wi-Fi is the consumer-facing brand name given to a communication standard called IEEE802.11. Every major revision of IEEE 802.11 is denoted by adding a suffix to the official name, and all the average consumer usually needs to see is the Wi-Fi branding. For Wi-Fi7, there is one exception, as it also adds a set of letters: IEEE802.11be Ultra High Throughput (EHT).

Wi-Fi is usually used as a local area network, connecting to the internet via wires and distributing it wirelessly to devices. This transmission is handled through an access point - usually a router. In order for the device to be able to connect to this network and the Internet, it needs its own Wi-Fi receiver.

As GeeksforGeeks points out, Wi-Fi typically operates on two frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The default frequency is 2.4GHz, which supports a wider range and covers a larger area, but the speed is lower. The 5GHz frequency has lower coverage but faster speeds. Starting with Wi-Fi6E, the 6GHz band is also part of it. 

The evolution of Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi has evolved a lot over the years to the version in use today. There have been many generations of Wi-Fi since it was first standardized in the 90s. The first official version of Wi-Fi was released in 1997 and was called IEEE802.11-1997. As Wevolver points out, it's very basic and has interoperability issues, with theoretical speeds of up to 2Mbps, and a little lower in practice.

In 1999, a new revision of Wi-Fi appeared, adopting two new standards at the same time. IEEE802.11b is based on the frequency of 2.4GHz, up to 11Mbps; while IEEE802.11a introduces the frequency of 5GHz, up to 54Mbps. Today's Wi-Fi routers and devices still support 11b and 11a. 11g was revised in 2003 to increase data speeds from 2.4Ghz to 54Mbps.

Next up was IEEE802.11n, now known as Wi-Fi4m. This is a major revision released in 2009, and it operates at 2.4GHz and 5GHz and can reach speeds of up to 600Mbps. It's followed by 11ac, a 5GHz standard that again boosts speeds to 6.8Gbps and is branded as Wi-Fi 5.

The next step in the evolution of Wi-Fi is 11ax, which itself has two revisions. The first version is Wi-Fi 6, which supports 2.5GHz and 5GHz with speeds up to 9.6Gbps. The second, Wi-Fi 6E, launched in 2020 and added support for 6GHz to the standard, along with a host of other features that set the stage for Wi-Fi 7.

What is Wi-Fi7 and what new features does it have?

The next potential revision to the 802.11 IEEE standard is IEEE 802.11be Extreme Throughput (EHT), possibly named Wi-Fi 7. EHT refers to the high-speed potential of the upcoming standard.

The 6GHz frequency is a newly added frequency for Wi-Fi6E, and Wi-Fi7 will focus on making the most of the new frequency. Wi-Fi 7 also doubles the bandwidth of the 6GHz band, bringing its potential speed to 46.1Gbps. This is a huge leap. It does this by using both channels at the 5GHz and 6GHz frequencies, because the two are close.

Wi-Fi 6E is an intermediate generation, but Wi-Fi 7 would be the appropriate generation, bringing usability improvements. The IEEE discusses how the next version of Wi-Fi will increase capacity while reducing latency. Wi-Fi7 is not yet fully standardized. It's still in development, so there will definitely be some changes between now and the actual release.

• Multilink Operation (MLO) Multilink Operation (MLO) is a proposed feature that, if included in the final standard, would be a key new improvement in next-generation Wi-Fi. As mentioned earlier, Wi-Fi 7 operates on the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. However, until now, devices with Wi-Fi can only connect to one of these bands at a time. This is why when using a dual-band router, you will see two different Wi-Fi networks that can connect. With multi-link operation, Wi-Fi 7 lets devices span all frequency bands, making multiple connections to an access point (a router in most cases). As the TP-Link blog notes, this will allow for faster and lower latency device access, bringing it closer to a wired internet connection over Ethernet in terms of connection quality. The concept of multiple connections isn't new to Wi-Fi -- it's multiple connections that make MLO a game-changer.

●4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (4K-QAM) Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is an essential feature of the latest generation of Wi-Fi. It helps convert digital data packets into analog signals that can be converted from the access point to the device. Wi-Fi uses radio waves to transmit data, and QAM improves transmission efficiency by changing the phase (timing) and amplitude of these waves. The suffix for QAM is a number, usually an even multiple of 2, indicating how many signals can be superimposed. Wi-Fi6 introduced 1024QAM, which means that QAM can superimpose 1024 signals at the same time, enabling it to transmit more data. The goal of Wi-Fi7 is to achieve higher 4KQAM, capable of superimposing 4096 signals at the same time, which is 4 times that of Wi-Fi6. The TP-Link blog notes that this will result in a 20% increase in data rates for Wi-Fi7 compared to Wi-Fi6.

● Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) Since the 6GHz frequency is relatively new to Wi-Fi, there are a few issues that need to be addressed. The 6GHz band isn't unique, in fact it's used for a variety of purposes, including by federal agencies like NASA. Since the 6GHz frequency is not unoccupied, using it in Wi-Fi can cause interference that can disrupt use by all parties involved. This is where Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) comes into play. AFC is a system for coordinating the use of spectrum in the 6GHz band. In a collective effort, the AFC analyzes existing 6GHz signals and antenna patterns to create a shared database that can then be used to avoid interference. RCSWIreless points out that Wi-Fi uses low-power access points indoors and standard-power access points outdoors, which are more susceptible to interference. AFC will use algorithms to help Wi-Fi7 scale to higher power while avoiding interference, making it a key technology to simplify the use of the 6GHz band.

Wi-Fi7 performance demo and real speed

We've discussed what Wi-Fi 7 will offer above, but at the end of the day, real-life performance is what matters. We're still in the early development stages of Wi-Fi 7, but have seen the performance it has demonstrated. Recently, Intel and Broadcom teamed up to show a real demonstration of Wi-Fi7.

This real-world test shows an Intel Core-powered laptop connected to a Broadcom access point, as demonstrated by Intel and Broadcom. This test is able to achieve a stable speed of 5Gbps. This is five times that of the previous Wi-Fi6. Since Wi-Fi7 is still in the early stages of development, we're not sure how high the actual speeds will be. However, as mentioned earlier, the maximum theoretical limit is set at 46.1Gbps. Actual speeds will vary depending on the setup, but we can expect a full setup capable of delivering between 30 and 40Gbps of throughput.

Wi-Fi7 vs Wi-Fi6E vs Wi-Fi6

While both Wi-Fi6E and Wi-Fi7 use the 6GHz band, as the Commscope blog points out, there are some very significant differences between the two. Wi-Fi6E is the middle generation, while Wi-Fi7 is the full generational leap. First, as mentioned above, the maximum speed will jump to 46.1Gbps compared to Wi-FI6E's 9.6Gbps limit. Wi-Fi6E is also limited to 1024QAM, while Wi-Fi7 is 4 times that of 4KQAM.

Wi-Fi6 and Wi-Fi6E have many similarities, the most notable of which is that the maximum bandwidth is limited to 9.6Gbps. Wi-Fi6E has 6GHz bandwidth, but due to the lack of other functions, Wi-Fi6E cannot utilize 6GHz to obtain higher bandwidth. Wi-Fi7 can take advantage of 6GHz to significantly increase data speeds.

The channel size of Wi-Fi7 has also doubled from 160MHz of Wi-Fi6 and Wi-Fi6E to 320MHz. Wi-Fi frequency bands such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz are divided into channels. Channels come in various sizes, such as 20MHz in the 2.4GHz band, and 40 or 80MHz in the 5GHz band. Wi-FI7's extended 320MHz channel width means it can transmit more data.

All these features in Wi-Fi7 not only provide a better wireless internet experience in terms of speed, latency and device support, but also make Wi-Fi7 a better local network for smart homes than Wi-Fi6/6E.

When is Wi-Fi7 coming?

As mentioned earlier, Wi-Fi 7 is still in development. Currently, different sources give different timelines. However, given the delays in widespread adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E that have been seen, it is fair to assume that estimates for the release of Wi-Fi 7 should be taken with a grain of salt.

According to the Times of India, Intel's vice president of wireless solutions, Eric McLaughlin, said that Intel will start supporting Wi-Fi 7 in its products in 2024, and the technology is expected to appear in major markets by 2025. We may see devices released as early as 2023, but may not take full advantage of the promised technologies because they are released before the standard is officially released. We've already seen Qualcomm unveil its FastConnect7800 Wi-Fi7 platform, and more Wi-Fi7 devices will appear before the official standard is released.

Of course, these devices won't boot properly until the IEEE finalizes the Wi-Fi7 standard. IEEE plans to achieve this goal in 2024. As a result, affordable and widely available Wi-Fi 7 hardware is expected to be available in most markets around the world by the end of 2025 and early 2026.

Should you upgrade to Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7 is still a while away from release, but with the buzz already, some are wondering if or when the hardware should be upgraded. Most people are very happy with their existing Wi-Fi implementation and won't feel the need to upgrade anytime soon. When Wi-Fi 7 arrives, it will have massive upgrade costs. So it doesn't make sense to be an early adopter of Wi-Fi7 unless you're running an industrial-scale business, planning to put a full-blown smart home into action, or just want to have a very fast internet connection to use more efficiently wireless network.

For others, it makes sense to wait for Wi-Fi7 to become the standard on the market, at which point it's natural to upgrade their devices to those that come with Wi-Fi7 support. Once you get to that stage, it's necessary to upgrade your Wi-Fi settings.

At present, it is recommended not to rush to upgrade the wireless settings before the official release of Wi-Fi 7, unless it is very necessary to upgrade. As noted in the ARC Advisory Group blog, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are solid upgrades that have seen steady adoption. However, Wi-Fi 7 is in the works and is a major upgrade, so it would be wise to wait for its final release unless there is a very pressing need.