The next generation of consumer wireless networking could deliver extremely high-speed connections, with initial demonstrations of Wi-Fi 7 delivering about the same speed as Thunderbolt 3.
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Current consumer electronics generally support Wi-Fi 6 and earlier technologies, with some starting to use Wi-Fi 6E. While it could still be some time away from adoption in consumer hardware, it appears that hardware vendors are starting to test the technology.
Semiconductor maker MediaTek is demonstrating Wi-Fi 7 to “key customers and industry partners,” including successfully completing the world’s first live demonstration, Digitaltrends reports. The test included a demonstration of MediaTek’s “Filogic” WiFi 7 technology to help achieve the maximum speeds the upcoming standard can deliver.
Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, is expected to deliver speeds about 2.4 times faster than Wi-Fi 6, using 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz spectrums. It does this by expanding channels to 320 MHz, as well as supporting 4K quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).
While Wi-Fi 6 can handle up to 9.6 Gbps, the Wi-Fi Alliance says Wi-Fi 7 should be able to offer connections of "at least 30" Gbps and could potentially reach 40 Gbps.
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Theoretically, a Thunderbolt 3 connection can operate at speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second, with any peripheral in the chain effectively limited to 32 gigabits per second. In reality, a full-speed Wi-Fi 7 connection can deliver around Thunderbolt 3 speeds, but wirelessly.
As part of the demonstration, MediaTek demonstrated its Multi-Link Open (MLO) technology, which can combine multiple channels across different frequency bands. Essentially, a connection could use different bands simultaneously, which mitigates any potential interference or congestion in specific bands.
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For now, Wi-Fi 7 is still a draft specification, but it is expected to be certified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2024. Despite the two-year wait, MediaTek believes that the first consumer products with Wi-Fi 7 support could be available by 2023.
Information source: appleinsider.com
