Wi-Fi 7
What is Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) is the next-generation standard from the Wi-Fi Alliance that defines new features. Wi-Fi 7 builds on Wi-Fi 6E (uses the 6 GHz band) and increases data rates through the use of 320 MHz channels.

Wi-Fi 7 reference guide
  • Wi‑Fi 7 explained
  • What is the difference between Wi‑Fi 7 and Wi‑Fi 6E?
  • Is Wi‑Fi 7 the same as 802.11be?
  • Will Wi‑Fi 7 work outdoors?
  • Benefits of Wi‑Fi 7
Wi‑Fi 7 explained

Wi-Fi 7 explained

Wi-Fi 7 delivers features based on the new 802.11be standard and extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6E.

  • 320 MHz bandwidth channels
  • Multi-link operation (MLO) for channel aggregation across different bands and failover
  • 4096 QAM (4k QAM) for higher peak data rates
  • Spectrum puncturing to better accommodate interference in wide channels

Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 7

 

Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 7

Corresponding IEEE standard

802.11ax

802.11be

Use of 6GHz band

Yes

Yes

Key features

  • Up to 1200 MHz additional unlicensed spectrum*
  • Up to seven 160MHz channels1
  • Up to 1024 QAM data rates
  • WPA3 required

All the features of Wi-Fi 6E plus:

  • Maximum 320MHz channels
  • Multi-link operation (MLO) for aggregating channels
  • Spectrum puncturing to minimize channel interference

What you should know

  • Not all countries have adopted 6GHz
  • Europe has opened 500MHz vs 1200 in most other countries
  • Standard Power, which is required for outdoor use, is pending approvals
  • Not all countries have adopted 6GHz
  • Europe has opened 500MHz vs 1200 in most other countries
  • Standard Power, which is required for outdoor use, is pending approvals
  • Use of 4096 QAM data rates require a high signal-to-noise (SNR) and require very close proximity to an AP (several feet)
  • AP coverage models simply do not allow for enough available channels to support 320MHz

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