Carlos Codairo, Intel's CTO for Wireless Connectivity, said:
For the future of Wi-Fi, the focus should be more on how to improve reliability and reduce latency. Kevin Robinson, president and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said that the key to the future of Wi-Fi is multi-link operation (MLO), which is the main focus of Wi-Fi 7.MLO technology involves propagating data streams on multiple channels in a single frequency band, making Wi-Fi signals more resistant to interference at specific frequencies. The breakthrough of Wi-Fi 7 is that it allows devices to propagate data streams across multiple frequency bands, designed to improve reliability and reduce latency.
In addition, Wi-Fi 7 also focuses on increasing the channel size, increasing the channel upper limit from 160MHz to 320MHz. A larger channel bandwidth will increase throughput, making it possible to transmit more data in the same amount of time. However, it should be noted that the current 320MHz channel is not fully implemented in all regions, because Wi-Fi uses unlicensed spectrum, and some regions may lack continuous 320MHz unlicensed spectrum. To solve this problem, Wi-Fi 7 introduces a puncturing function that makes full use of the 320MHz band in some areas to improve channel utilization.
This technology is the culmination of years of collaboration between the wireless industry and has defined the features that should be included in a new generation of Wi-Fi products. Once agreed, Robinson said, months of early implementation validation are needed to ensure that all features work in harmony.
The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to release Wi-Fi Certified 7 in Q1 2024.