What Is Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7 is the newest mainstream Wi-Fi generation, designed for higher wireless speed, lower latency and better performance on busy networks.

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Wi-Fi 7 in plain English

Wi-Fi 7 is the consumer name for wireless technology based on 802.11be. It is designed to improve wireless speed, responsiveness and capacity when both your router and device support it.

It does not make your broadband line faster by itself. If you pay for 500 Mbps broadband, Wi-Fi 7 will not turn it into 1 Gbps. What it can do is help compatible devices get closer to your package speed over Wi-Fi, especially in busy homes or near the router.

The big Wi-Fi 7 features

  • Multi-Link Operation: compatible devices can use more than one Wi-Fi band or channel more intelligently.
  • Wider channels: Wi-Fi 7 can support wider channels, including up to 320 MHz where spectrum and hardware allow.
  • 4K-QAM: packs more data into each transmission in good signal conditions.
  • Lower latency potential: useful for gaming, video calls, VR, cloud gaming and responsive apps.
  • Better high-speed headroom: useful for full fibre and local network transfers.

Do you need new devices?

Yes, to get the real Wi-Fi 7 benefits, both the router and the device need to support Wi-Fi 7. Older phones, laptops and consoles will still connect to a Wi-Fi 7 router, but they will use their own older Wi-Fi standard.

That means upgrading only the router may improve coverage or router processing, but it will not magically make every old device use Wi-Fi 7 features.

Run a Speed Test Is Wi-Fi 7 Worth It?

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