Today's multi-gigabit internet plans are quickly outpacing current Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, will represent a revolutionary change. The new standard, dubbed EHT for Extremely High Throughput will finally make true multi-gigabit Wi-Fi a reality with faster speeds, less interference, and better performance for today's many high-bandwidth online activities.
Key features of Wi-Fi 7 and benefits:
- 5x Faster Speeds than Wi-Fi 6E: Wi-Fi 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 2x maximum bandwidth 320MHz high-capacity channels: New, ultra-wide bandwidth means double the speed of your devices. Wi-Fi 7 smartphones can get speeds up to 5Gbps. This opens up exciting new possibilities for AR and VR applications. 1.2GHz spectrum in the 6GHz band makes 320MHz ultra-wideband possible and also allows for more routers to operate in congested neighbourhoods without stepping on each other.
- 100x Lower Latency 100x lower latency for real-time responsiveness: Latency has a noticeable effect on real-time activities like gaming and video conferencing. A 100x improvement dramatically upgrades today’s interactive online experiences and opens the door for immersive next-gen AR and VR.
- 20% more data transmission with 4K QAM modulations: Modulation, simply put, is the process of converting data into Wi-Fi 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 Wi-Fi 7?
- MULTI-LINK OPERATION - Get your data the fastest way, automatically: Wi-Fi 7 taps into all 3 Wi-Fi bands (6GHz, 5GHz, and 2.4GHz), effortlessly changing lanes between the bands to avoid network traffic and/or keep you connected if you move out of range of one band. This feature, called Multi-link Operation, ensures data is delivered with maximum speed, reducing latency and improving reliability for online gaming, AR and VR, Zoom calls, and more.
- PREAMBLE PUNCTURING - Don't let interference slow your Wi-Fi down: There are chances that nearby Wi-Fi networks might be interfering and slowing your internet. With current versions of Wi-Fi, any channels with interference from other networks become unavailable. With Preamble Puncturing, your Wi-Fi can now slice off part of a channel to transmit your data, if the interference isn't occupying the entire channel. In effect, Wi-Fi 7 lets you "block off one lane" instead of closing down the whole road.
Advantages and Benefits of Wi-Fi 7 for Business
Wi-Fi 7 will unlock many new capabilities for business and also improve upon the fundamental way in which it operates nowadays. In terms of how Wi-Fi is used today, users will experience noticeable performance improvements on shared office networks thanks to improved speed and bandwidth, as well as new features like multi-link operation and multi-access-point coordination. In simple terms, Wi-Fi 7 will be better at managing multiple users at once and will have an improved ability to deliver faster speeds across the full footprint of the office. In terms of how Wi-Fi is used in the workplace of tomorrow, Wi-Fi 7 will unlock intriguing capabilities for incorporating AR and VR into the workplace, enabling next-gen hardware like goggles or contact lenses with AR-enhanced heads-up displays, robust IoT-enhanced smart office products, and further-improved workplace automation technologies.
Wi-Fi 7 advantages for gamers
Wi-Fi 7 will be massive for gamers, resulting in immediate improvements for how they game today and unlocking a new world of possibilities for how they game tomorrow. Current-gen gamers will experience a colossal 100x drop in latency, removing the annoying lag issues that hamper the online gaming experience. Games will now download in a fraction of the time and streamed content for cloud-based games will render faster and clearer than ever before. Wi-Fi 7 will also open up many new possibilities in the realm of AR and VR gaming, allowing users to stream ultra-high-definition content seamlessly with real-time responsiveness.
Wi-Fi 7 Advantages for home
Wi-Fi 7 will bring immediate improvements for all connected homes and smart homes, allowing families to work more easily and learn remotely without running into issues from competing traffic. The rise of remote work and learning has taxed the abilities of current Wi-Fi technology, as data-intensive Zoom calls and video streaming compete for bandwidth. With Wi-Fi 7, you can say goodbye to the days of glitchy and frozen video conferencing streams. Wi-Fi 7 offers more channels and flexible utilization of those channels to deliver a much smoother experience, for more devices at once. This improved ability to handle many devices at once also opens the door to many new IoT smart home devices. With massively improved abilities to handle high network traffic, smart home devices can become increasingly sophisticated, accomplishing data-intensive tasks like uploading security feeds to the cloud, without bogging down your network speed.
Wi-Fi 7 advantages for entertainment
Wi-Fi 7 will open new doors for home entertainment technology while vastly improving experiences on the technology available today. Streamers will enjoy smoother crisper video, with the ability to stream multiple pieces of 4K and 8K content at once throughout the home. With improved bandwidth, speed, and resource allocation, a household can easily stream UHD videos, host Twitch streams, game in VR, work on Zoom calls, and browse the web without issue. Even more exciting is the next generation of AR and VR content users have in store. Wi-Fi 7 unleashes a world of possibilities to explore new virtual worlds with fully interactive content. With ultra-high speeds and imperceptible levels of latency, users can immerse themselves in these worlds with lifelike responsiveness and new sensory technologies that elevate the experience beyond our wildest imaginations.
(The above article has been shared by Netgear and edited by the India TV team. All the thoughts are personal, and India TV takes no ownership for the same)
