I've been a big advocate and participant of 802.11 technology since it's inception in the early 2000's. I've seen just about every iteration of Wi-Fi including non-ratified versions that are unavailable and unknown to the mass market. The 7 known and ratified generations of Wi-Fi versions are the official FCC and publicly acknowledged worldwide standards that are made available to consumers and end-users. Wi-Fi 7 or 802.11be is just around the corner.
What is
Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 is the latest Wi-Fi technology available in Canada (also known as IEEE
802.11be Extremely High Throughput). It uses all three bands – 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz,
and 6 GHz – to maximize internet speeds and eliminate congestion.
When will
Wi-Fi 7 be available?
Wi-Fi 7 products from various brands and vendors will become available in the
first half of 2024, with pricing information to be announced at a later date.
Why
should I upgrade to Wi-Fi 7?
If you experience slow or buffering internet, a Wi-Fi 7 router may be the
solution you're looking for. Wi-Fi 7 offers faster speeds with its ultra-wide
bandwidth, advanced modulation scheme, efficient resource utilization, and
improved transmission capabilities. With Wi-Fi 7, you can enjoy seamless streaming
of 4K/8K videos and online games, as well as improved reliability for emerging
applications like virtual reality, online gaming, and remote work.
How does
Wi-Fi 7 work?
Wi-Fi 7 makes use of the full potential of the 6 GHz frequency band to double
the bandwidth of previous generations – allowing for faster speeds and more
simultaneous transmissions. It also increases the number of spatial streams
from 8 to 16, meaning more bandwidth for each device. Additionally, Wi-Fi 7
uses a higher-order modulation scheme called 4096-QAM, which allows for 20%
faster transmission rates compared to Wi-Fi 6.
How fast
is Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 provides speeds that are 4.8 times faster than Wi-Fi 6 and 13 times
faster than Wi-Fi 5 – allowing you to enjoy faster and smoother internet
experiences. With speeds up to 46 Gbps, you can expect the fastest internet
ever and seamless device connectivity.
How many devices can I connect to Wi-Fi 7?
With Wi-Fi 7, you can connect twice as many devices as with previous
generations. It uses a technology called 16x16 MU-MIMO, which means it has 16
streams instead of 8, so it can handle the increasing number of Wi-Fi devices
and provide enough bandwidth for all of them to run smoothly.
Why do I say that I may not be part of it? As a subset of my entire I.T. career
as a whole, I have a been a Wi-Fi Specialist and Professional Wi-Fi Site
Surveyor since 2006. That is 18 years already. The last few years though and
with the release of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax in 2019 the demand for my services have
waned. There's probably a few reasons why interest for my services have fallen
off.
Firstly, I have been winding down my availability for Wi-Fi surveying and assessment projects to focus
more on my daily duties and activities for family and to take on smaller
projects for my Phresh Digital Arts & Consulting business.
Secondly, the Wireless technology has evolved so greatly that some people still
haven't migrated from Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac, because the connections speeds are
still sufficient for their day-to-day needs. Moving up to the more modern
standards means that users have a requirement for higher bandwidth applications
such as 4K and 8K wireless video streaming. Basically, if you have a requirement
for bigger volumes of wireless data, then you'll only be looking at the newer
Wi-Fi 6 or 7 standards and beyond.
The third reason is that companies and individuals might have found alternate
resources for their Wi-Fi tech support and information because the information
is more readily available now and more abundant. It has been about two decades
after all.
The fourth reason is that competition can be fierce. With so many vendors and
other I.T. boutiques out there, you can easily get undersold, underbid, or
adversely receive behind-the-back trash talk, convincing people not to seek you
out.
The fifth reason is that I am a senior specialist, meaning that my consulting
services, are at a premium which could cause many prospective clients to look
elsewhere. Budgeting in these times, during economic hardships can be a real
challenge.
Here are some older posts that discuss my opinions on Wi-Fi:
Wi-Fi Survey Types and Methods
https://phreshdigitalarts.blogspot.com/2022/04/wi-fi-survey-types-and-methods.html
Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Blaming Wi-Fi
https://phreshdigitalarts.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-top-5-mistakes-that-people-make.html
Compartmentalized Wi-Fi Design and Me
https://phreshdigitalarts.blogspot.com/2021/09/compartmentalized-wi-fi-design-and-me.html
Extending Wi-Fi @ Home
https://phreshdigitalarts.blogspot.com/2022/04/extending-wi-fi-home.html
