What is WiFi 7 for Business?

MAKING MULTI-GIGABIT SPEEDS FOR YOUR ENTIRE ENVIRONMENT A REALITY

Today's multi-gigabit internet plans are quickly outpacing current WiFi technology. WiFi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be represents a revolutionary change. The new standard, dubbed EHT for Extremely High Throughput, will finally make true multi-gigabit WiFi throughout high density environments, such as offices, hospitality or educations spaces, a reality with faster speeds, less interference, and better performance for today's many high-bandwidth online activities.

Advanced WiFi for advanced business

See the difference between WiFi 7 and earlier generations in the chart below.

For an even more detailed comparison between WiFi 6 and WiFi 7, read the full article here.

	WiFi 5	WiFi 6	WiFi 6E	WiFi 7
Introduced	Introduced 2013	Introduced 2019	Introduced 2021	Introduced 2023
IEEE Standard	IEEE Standard 802.11ac	IEEE Standard 802.11ax	IEEE Standard 802.11ax	IEEE Standard 802.11be
Max Speed	Max Speed 3.5 Gbps	Max Speed 9.6 Gbps	Max Speed 9.6 Gbps	Max Speed 46 Gbps
Bands	Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz	Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz	Bands 6 GHz	Bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz
Multi-Link Operation	Multi-Link Operation No	Multi-Link Operation No	Multi-Link Operation No	Multi-Link Operation Yes
Security	Security WPA 2	Security WPA 3	Security WPA 3	Security WPA 3
Channel size	Channel size 20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz	Channel size 20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz	Channel size 20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160 MHz	Channel size 20, 40, 80, 80+80, 160MHz, 320MHz
Modulation	Modulation 256-QAM-OFDMA	Modulation 1024-QAM-OFDMA	Modulation 1024-QAM-OFDMA	Modulation 4096-QAM OFDMA
MIMO	MIMO 4X4 MIMO, DL MU-MIMO	MIMO 8X8 UL/D/ MU-MIMO	MIMO 8X8 UL/D/ MU-MIMO	MIMO 16X16 MU-MIMO

WiFi 7 Key Features and Benefits

5x faster speeds

than WiFi 6E

WiFi 7 increases maximum speeds from 9.6Gbps to a stunning 46Gbps, so you can take full advantage of today’s ultra-fast internet plans with gigabit-plus performance on your devices.

2x maximum bandwidth

320MHz high-capacity channels

New, ultra-wide bandwidth means double the speed to your devices. WiFi 7 smart phones can get speeds up to 5Gbps. This opens up exciting new possibilities for AR and VR applications. 1.2GHz spectrum in 6GHz band makes 320MHz ultra-wide band possible and also allows for more routers to operate in congested neighborhood without stepping on each other.

Significantly lower latency

for real-time responsiveness

Latency has a noticeable effect on real-time activities like gaming and video conferencing. WiFi 7 dramatically upgrades current gen experiences and opens the door for immersive next gen AR and VR.

20% more data transmission

with 4096 QAM modulation

Modulation, simply put, is the process of converting data into WiFi radio waves. A jump from 10-bit to 12-bit data modulation packs in 20% more data at a time for crystal-clear video streaming, Zoom calls and more.

What new innovations come with WiFi 7?

MULTI-LINK OPERATION

The power of two

WiFi 7 taps both 6GHz and 5GHz WiFi bands at once to avoid network traffic and keep you connected if you move out of range of one band. This feature, called multi-link operation, also enables devices to simultaneously send and receive data across both WiFi bands, increasing throughput.

PREAMBLE PUNCTURING

Outsmart WiFi interference

Did you know your neighbors' WiFi might be slowing your network down? With previous versions of WiFi, any channels with interference become unavailable. Preamble puncturing allows your WiFi to slice off part of a channel to transmit your data, if the interference isn’t occupying the entire channel, greatly reducing network congestion.

MULTIPLE RESOURCE UNITS (MRU)

Reduced queueing

With this new WiFi 7 feature, MRUs can be assigned and combined to a single user, improving the transmission efficiency. With the help of Preamble Puncturing, MRU ensures that data travels only on clear frequencies, increasing data rates and reliability in dense WiFi environments.

MULTI-AP COORDINATION

Setting the standard for APs

In legacy WiFi standards, there is no standard for how APs should coordinate data transmission times. Common functions, such as auto radio calibration and smart roaming, are vendor-defined. As a result, multiple bands operating in the same space, would cause interference and increase latency. With WiFi 7, it’s now possible to adjust the load between APs to balance radio resources. This reduces interference between APs and greatly improves the utilization of air interface resources.

Advanced WiFi solutions for your business

See the new WiFi 7 access point with Insight Cloud Management

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SOLUTIONS FOR ALL BUSINESSES

Education

Modernize learning experiences with increased data transfer speed and ultra-low latency for students and staff.

Corporate Offices

From the warehouse to meeting rooms and cubicles, establish speedy connections for the whole office.

Hospitality

Tackle congestion and interference in areas with densely packed devices or neighboring networks that overlap, such as in hotels or restaurants.

Residential

Enjoy smoother high resolution content, including immersive AR and VR environments and gaming.

WiFi 7 FAQ

Yes, WiFi 7 is fully backward compatible. However, different generations of user devices will reap different levels of benefit. For example, only WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 devices will be able to use the ultra-fast 6GHz WiFi band. Similarly, only the newest WiFi 7 devices will be able to take advantage of advanced features like the 320MHz bandwidth and multi-link output.

WiFi 7 is up to 2.4x WiFi 6E and WiFi 6. Top theoretical speeds of 18.4Gbps can now be achieved for NETGEAR WiFi 7 access points. However actual speeds will be dependent on the number of streams supported, speed from the internet service provider, data plan, networking hardware, and network traffic.

Yes! Your current access point may be holding back your performance, particularly if you are on an older version of WiFi. WiFi 7 customer devices are now available, so if you are unsatisfied with your WiFi performance, consider an upgrade to the WiFi 7 standard. Many WiFi devices still use older WiFi standards but can get some benefits of WiFi 7. Check out the following links to learn more about WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E.

Yes! If you currently have a WiFi 5 access point, you will get immediate benefits from a WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, or WiFi 7 access point. With current internet service provider speeds and many high-quality hardware options available, there is still a substantial amount of time available to enjoy the benefits of WiFi 6 before you can truly experience all the benefits WiFi 7 has to offer. However, only WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 access points can provide ultra-fast 6GHz band WiFi for the latest phones and computers. WiFi 7access points will future proof your business and devices with next-level WiFi capabilities.

WiFi 7 offers significant improvements to speed and bandwidth, along with a host of underlying technological improvements designed to make your WiFi work smarter and more efficiently. These benefits are outlined in the article above.