What Is WiFi 7?

WiFi 7 is the 8th generation of WiFi that boasts several impressive improvements over WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E — including speeds up to 2.4 times faster. The latest WiFi standard, dubbed IEEE 802.11be, promises to revolutionize wireless technology, delivering huge benefits to users like ultra-low latency, expanded network capacity, and stable, reliable coverage.

What Are the Benefits of WiFi 7? 

WiFi 7 delivers three unique and impressive innovations for users:

• Significantly improved battery life for WiFi 7 devices: 4096-QAM allows for 20% more information to be transmitted and received per packet, which means you get on and off the air faster, thus saving battery life up to 20%. 
• Consistent and persistent connection: Multi-link operation (MLO) is a brand-new innovation that comes standard with WiFi 7. Traditionally, WiFi devices only connect to one WiFi band at a time. MLO lets devices simultaneously send and receive data across multiple bands, ensuring faster, reliable connections everywhere. 
• Instantly and seamlessly failover to another WiFi band: The MLO feature also uses multiple bands at once to minimize network congestion and ensure uninterrupted connectivity throughout your home or office. This feature breaks free from the limitations of traditional WiFi, which could only connect to a single band at any given time.
• 2.4x faster than WiFi 6: Ultra-wide 320 MHz channels and 4K QAM double the data transfer rates of previous WiFi generations for faster downloads and uploads, making WiFi 7 ideal for 4K/8K streaming and immersive experiences like AR.
• Ideal for apartments, flats, & townhomes: Preamble Puncturing, another WiFi 7 innovation, provides wider channels for faster data transmissions, resulting in better WiFi performance in congested spaces. ​ 
• Deterministic low latency: Lag-free WiFi perfect for real-time applications such as interactive video conferences and online gaming.

How Long Will It Take for WiFi 7 to Be Adopted? 

The adoption of WiFi 7 routers is expected to experience substantial growth in the next couple of years —6 GHz-enabled residential routers/gateways will see 83.3% CAGR between 2023 and 2028, primarily driven by WiFi 7​.

Is WiFi 7 Backwards Compatible with Previous WiFi Generations?

Yes! WiFi 7 is fully backwards compatible with devices supporting earlier generations of WiFi. It’s worth mentioning that you need devices that support WiFi 7 to leverage all the benefits this advanced technology has to offer.   

Should I Upgrade to WiFi 7 Even If My Devices Only Support Older WiFi Technology? 

If you don’t own any devices that support WiFi 7, you may wonder if upgrading to the latest WiFi technology is worth your money.

If you're considering getting the latest smartphone or tablet in the near future (and these newer devices will likely support WiFi 7), upgrading to a WiFi 7 router now boosts the battery life of your devices and enhances your network connectivity experience. Additionally, WiFi 7 is particularly effective in crowded spaces with network congestion, like apartments, condos, flats, and townhomes.

Additionally, with WiFi 7 true-triband router, 6-GHz band frees up the 2.4 and 5-GHz bands to operate more efficiently for legacy devices and the 6-GHz band for newer devices and mesh backhaul connection.  

If My Internet Plan Doesn’t Support WiFi 7 Speeds, Should I Still Upgrade? 

It's important to remember that your internet speed is capped by the maximum speed your ISP offers through your plan. You'll want a router capable of faster speeds than your internet connection for all WiFi activates. And a WiFi 7 router most definitely fits the bill.

Thankfully, multigigabit internet plans are becoming more affordable and available every day. If your ISP doesn't offer these plans now, don't worry — they or another provider will likely offer one soon. Pulling the trigger on a WiFi 7 router right now will ensure your network is ready to take full advantage of those ludicrous internet speeds once your ISP carries a multigigabit plan.

As mentioned above, a WiFi 7 wireless router is also an excellent choice if you live in a place with heavy network congestion, like apartments or condos. You'll enjoy smooth, uninterrupted WiFi anywhere in your home, no matter how many users and devices are online at the same time. As an added bonus, springing for a WiFi 7 router will also boost the battery life of your WiFi 7-enabled devices up to 20%.

Will There Be a WiFi 8 Anytime Soon? 

Believe it or not, WiFi 8 is already in the works even though WiFi 7 is still an emerging wireless technology with tremendous benefits to internet users everywhere. While more concrete details about WiFi 8 will be announced soon, you can expect WiFi 8 in 2028, and it will definitely provide faster speeds, lower latency, and better performance than previous WiFi technologies. 

So how long will WiFi 7 remain relevant in the face of the upcoming WiFi 8 technology? If previous generations of WiFi are any indication, WiFi 7 should offer most users more than enough speed, connectivity, and reliability for all their devices and online activities for over a decade. 

Put simply, if you’re holding out on stepping up to WiFi 7 because development on WiFi 8 is already underway, you’ll miss out on upgrading your home network to the fastest, lowest latency, and most dependable WiFi available today.