Hardware vendors have been offering Wi-Fi 7-enabled devices based on draft specifications for some time. The final release of the standard is expected to be in 2024, and now that there is a clearer timeline, more manufacturers such as Intel are expected to soon launch products that take advantage of Wi-Fi 7's enhanced bandwidth and stability.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has confirmed that the final standard for Wi-Fi 7 will be released before the end of the first quarter of 2024. The standard is expected to offer gigabit speeds and other improvements compared to the current Wi-Fi 6 standard.
Wi-Fi 7 (also known as 802.11be) demonstrated by Intel and Broadcom last year had speeds of up to 5Gbps, significantly exceeding Wi-Fi 6's typical top speed of about 1.7Gbps. Wi-Fi 7 achieves this goal by allowing seamless switching between 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz frequencies, which can be used simultaneously by compatible devices.
In addition, the 6GHz spectrum can provide an ultra-wide channel of 320MHz, with throughput doubled compared to Wi-Fi 6, which is a key factor in speed improvement. By upgrading from 1024QAM to 4KQAM, the new standard also increases the transmission rate by 20%.
In addition, Wi-Fi 7 connections are also expected to be more stable than previous specifications. Multi-link operation intelligently balances traffic, allowing the network to efficiently accommodate more devices. The alliance says the new standard will be well suited for augmented reality and virtual reality applications. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently granted preliminary approval for ultra-fast Wi-Fi connectivity on the 6GHz spectrum, an important step toward enabling VR and AR devices to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7.
The 2024 launch date is largely consistent with Intel's 2022 forecast. The company plans to launch Wi-Fi 7-enabled PCs starting next year and make them available on the market by 2025. Qualcomm is also optimistic about Wi-Fi 7 and has included it in its FastConnect plan along with 5G.
Since last year, other manufacturers have also been early adopters of the draft specification, including NetGear, TP-Link, Asus, Amazon and Gigabyte, among others. Amazon launched the $600 Eero Max 7 router in September with wireless speeds of up to 4.3Gbps. The $1,700 three-piece system covers 7,500 square feet.
For those looking to upgrade their desktops for Wi-Fi 7, Gigabyte's recently released PCIe adapter is an option. The single-slot adapter card is capable of speeds up to 5.8Gbps and includes all of the alliance's official specification features, but its pricing and availability have not yet been determined. Currently, most major manufacturers have launched Wi-Fi7-enabled motherboards for new users to purchase.