The next generation wireless standard is out, Wi-Fi 7 will operate on the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, like Wi-Fi 6E, but it improves things by offering more potential bandwidth (faster downloads up to 5.8Gbps), using connections across bands (faster downloads and more stability), and using more signal modulation tricks for dealing with many users requesting access or using at the same time.
ALSO READ: Startup Uganda unveils the Innovation Week 2023
No need to worry about replacing new devices as a new Wi-Fi 7 capable router will still work fine with your existing gadgets. Whether you should buy a new compatible router now or wait is another question.
Due to the higher speeds offered, the current promotions around Wi-Fi 7 talk about 8K video. Even if 8K streaming were common, a compressed 8K feed would be lean enough for most modern routers to easily handle. This diminishes the purpose of such adverts.
Are the 5.8 Gbps speeds for Wi-Fi 7 real?
Yes, theoretically. An article from Intel says that a “typical” Wi-Fi 7 laptop could hit a “potential maximum” of nearly 5.8Gbps — that’s theoretical, but even hitting half that number would be extravagant for most people.
What makes it faster for the most part is channel bandwidth, or the size of the pipe that data is shoved through. Wi-Fi 7 doubles the maximum channel bandwidth to 320MHz, compared to the 160MHz you might get on nicer Wi-Fi 5, 6, and 6E routers.
The new spec also supports combining bands into a single connection with a feature called Multi-Link Operation (MLO). In simple terms, it means if you can download a file at, say, 1Gbps on the 6GHz band and on the 5GHz band at 700Mbps, combining the two could get you up to 1.7Gbps.
When to buy a supported device
You can buy Wi-Fi 7 routers now. The only issue you will face is the same faced by any new technology roll-out. There are a handful of devices that can support the new standard, which, again, is still in the works.
The chips are already out there, though. Qualcomm’s FastConnect 7800 mobile wireless chipset was released in 2022 and is even already in some phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, though Samsung would need to enable Wi-Fi 7 for those phones to support it. We only think it would be a good idea to hold off until the spec is finalized and the responsible Alliance starts certifying Wi-Fi 7 routers
