By Steve Lepine / EXFO
Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) represents a leap forward in wireless technology, promising speeds of up to 46 Gbps, reduced latency, and unprecedented efficiency in congested environments. With innovations like 320 MHz channels, 4096-QAM, and multi-link operation (MLO), it opens the door to seamless 8K streaming, ultra-responsive gaming, and real-time critical applications. However, validating this level of performance in real-world deployments isn’t straightforward.
As Wi-Fi 7 adoption grows, so do the challenges of testing it accurately and efficiently, especially in residential or small business environments. Field technicians and integrators require tools that can keep pace with the increasing complexity and performance demands of this new standard. Wi-Fi 7 maintains backward compatibility with previous generations, ensuring interoperability with existing devices.
What makes Wi-Fi 7 different
1. Wider channels (320 MHz) = more speed
Channel width in Wi-Fi acts like the number of lanes on a highway:
- 20 MHz = one-lane road
- 160 MHz = eight-lane highway
320 MHz = sixteen-lane highway