WiFi · Networking
Wi-Fi 7
Also known as: 802.11be, WiFi 7, Extremely High Throughput
The newest Wi-Fi standard — delivers up to 46Gbps theoretical throughput via 320MHz channels, multi-link operation across bands, and 4K-QAM.
Wi-Fi 7 raises the ceiling substantially over Wi-Fi 6E, primarily through three mechanisms:
320MHz channels — double the channel width of Wi-Fi 6E's 160MHz maximum. Available only in 6GHz (the 5GHz band isn't wide enough). Wider channels = more data per transmission.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO) — Wi-Fi 7 clients and APs can simultaneously transmit and receive across multiple frequency bands (2.4GHz + 5GHz + 6GHz) as a single bonded connection. This both increases throughput and improves reliability — if one band is congested or experiences interference, traffic can shift to another without disruption.
4096-QAM (4K-QAM) — encodes more bits per symbol than Wi-Fi 6's 1024-QAM, increasing theoretical throughput by ~20% under ideal signal conditions.
For most organizations buying APs today: Wi-Fi 6E is the practical choice. Wi-Fi 7 hardware is available but early-cycle, clients are not yet widespread, and the real-world gains over 6E are modest except in specific high-density or AV-intensive environments. If you're building for a 5-year horizon in a demanding environment, Wi-Fi 7 is reasonable. For typical office refreshes, Wi-Fi 6E is the right call.