Everything You Need to Know about WiFi7

The internet has forever changed the way in which we live our lives. We use it to work, socialise, watch videos and play games. The internet is arguably the most significant technological development in history, and it is continuing to see updates and improvements.

WiFi is how most of us access the internet, be that through our phones or laptops, at work or at home. The current iteration of WiFi is called WiFi6. However, the newest version, WiFi7 is set to be rolled out. What can we expect from this new internet standard? Find out here.

What is WiFi7?

The idea of different types of WiFi might sound a little strange. After all, WiFi is WiFi, right? Not exactly, like most technologies, WiFi has gone through numerous iterations and permutations over the years, with new features and updates added as tech capabilities improve to make it faster and more reliable.

Otherwise known as IEEE 802.11be, WiFi7 features something called Extremely High Throughput (EHT). When compared to previous WiFi standards, it has higher Quadrature Amplitude Modulation and wider channels. These sound fancy, but what do they mean in terms of real-world benefits?

The Benefits of WiFi7

When it comes to WiFi, the number one attribute that we’re all looking for is speed. Whether you’re watching videos on YouTube, sending memes to your friends or uploading a presentation for your work, WiFi needs to be fast and fluid if it’s to be of any use in today’s internet-reliant world.

WiFi7 has been designed with speed at the front and centre. It has a max speed of 46Gbps, significantly faster than the max speed of WiFi6, which is a paltry 9.6Gbps. This makes WiFi7 by far the fastest version yet, its speeds will amaze you whether you’re binging the latest Netflix series or playing MMO games for free.

What Else Will WiFi7 Offer?

While there’s no denying speed is important, that’s not all that WiFi7 is about. This new standard will be able to support more connections, meaning more people can connect to the same network without impacting performance. Its low-latency design will make it perfect for use with devices that utilise technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These new devices require a lot of power and strong internet connections to support them. With WiFi7, AR and VR devices will perform better and see further upgrades.

Additionally, WiFi7 will be able to reduce rates of interference from other nearby networks. This will prove particularly useful in professional and commercial environments where networks can be highly congested.

When Can We Expect to See WiFi7?

When can we actually expect to see WiFi7 rolled out for professional and consumer use? Initial estimates predicted it would be rolled out in early 2023. However, the tech is still being developed, and most equipment still isn’t fitted with the hardware required to access WiFi7, so it’s unlikely it will be rolled out until late 2024 or early 2025.

It’s important to keep in mind that WiFi7 won’t take over the world straight away. As with most large-scale technological developments, adoption and integration will be gradual. We can expect to see a slow phase-out of WiFi6 as more WiFi7 networks and hardware become available.

While we might have to wait before we can enjoy the benefits of WiFi7, it will usher in a new internet era with speeds that are faster than anything we’ve seen before.

Conclusion

WiFi7 is one of the most exciting recent tech developments, but it’s flying under the radar for the time being. As more details have been released, anticipation is growing, and many are now eagerly awaiting the launch of this groundbreaking new WiFi standard.