Wi-Fi 7: The Next Era in Wireless, Upcoming Adaptors and Chipsets

Intel has already unveiled its first Wi-Fi 7 controllers and adapters. These are expected to be available in a variety of forms on the market in 2023. Intel’s Wi-Fi 7 adapters are expected to be more energy-efficient than previous generations. This will help increase the battery life of laptops and smartphones.

Intel is currently listing two M.2-2230 draft Wi-Fi 7 adapters: Intel BE200 and Intel BE202. 

The chipsets currently being developed for Wi-Fi 7: are Qualcomm FastConnect 7800, Broadcom BCM6765, MediaTek Filogic 880, and Intel Wi-Fi 7 Controller.

These adapters are rumoured to offer the following features which support the full range of Wi-Fi 7:

Wider 320MHz channels in the 6GHz portion of the wireless spectrum

This feature allows these devices to transmit and receive data over a wider band of frequencies which will result in faster speed and lower latency. 

These adapters have 320MHz channels which are twice as wide as 160MHz channels that Wi-Fi 6 is currently using. This means that Wi-Fi 7 devices can transmit and receive twice as much data in each transmission. This will eventually increase the speed. Moreover, wider channels will help in reducing latency as there will be no delay in sending or receiving messages.

6GHz is the latest frequency band that has been opened up for Wi-Fi use in recent years. 6GHz offers a much wider range of frequencies than 2.4GHz and 5GHz. This will help in reducing congestion and improve performance. 

4K QAM modulation

QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) is a modulation technique. It uses both amplitude and phase of radio waves to encode data. The higher the QAM modulation, the more the data can be encoded in each transmission. 

Wi-Fi 6 uses 1K QAM modulation which can encode 1024 different symbols whereas Wi-Fi 7 uses 4K QAM modulation which can encode 4096 different symbols into each transmission which will significantly increase the speed. 

In fact, 4K QAM modulation can increase speed by up to 20% as compared to 1K QAM modulation.

Multi-link operation

Multi-link operation (MLO) in adapters is a new feature. This allows devices to connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks simultaneously. Basically, it allows devices to transmit and receive data over various links at the same time. You just need to connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks on different frequency bands or channels.

MLO can improve performance and reliability, especially in crowded networks. It is especially beneficial for applications that require high bandwidth and low latency like online gaming and video conferencing.

Improved channel utilization efficiency

This feature aims to reduce interference and improve performance in congested networks. Channel utilization refers to the percentage of time that a Wi-Fi channel is used to transmit data. 

Technologies that Wi-Fi 7 adapters used to improve channel utilization are orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and Spatial reuse.

Consistent ultra-low latency

Latency is the delay between sending and receiving data. It is measured in milliseconds. This feature allows Wi-Fi devices to achieve very low latency, which will be beneficial for Online Gaming, Video Conferencing and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality.

Also, lower latency is better, especially for applications that require real-time interaction.

Wi-Fi Support for the Latest Security Features

Wi-Fi 7 supports the latest security features which are WPA3 and Enhanced Open.

WPA3 is the latest version of the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security protocol which provides stronger encryption, enhanced protection against brute-force attacks and improved protection against denial-of-service attacks.

Enhanced Open is also a new security protocol designed to improve the security of open Wi-Fi networks. It provides benefits like authentication for all devices, data encryption and protection against denial-of-service attacks.

This feature will be beneficial as it will give stronger protection against unauthorized access, protection against data interception and eavesdropping and improved resilience to denial-of-service attacks.

Wi-Fi 7 Specifications

Frequency	6GHz
Bandwidth (Channels)	320 MHz
Access (Multiplexing)	OFDMA
Modulation	4K QAM
Antenna	DL + UL MU-MIMO (8 x 8)
Security	WPA4 (TBD)
Key Innovations	Multi-Link Operation (MLO) Multi-RUPuncturing

How Intel’s Wi-Fi 7 adapters are better than its previous versions?

Faster Speeds

Wi-Fi 7 is rumoured to offer peak speeds of over 5Gbps, which is significantly faster than Wi-Fi 6. With this, you will be able to download large files, stream high-definition video, and play online games with faster loading times and less lag.

Lower Latency

Wi-Fi 7 is also expected to have lower latency than Wi-Fi 6, so there will be less delay between sending and receiving data. This is beneficial for applications such as online gaming and video conferencing.

Improved Reliability 

Wi-Fi 7 is designed to be more reliable than Wi-Fi 6, even in crowded networks with many devices connected because Wi-Fi 7 uses a number of new technologies to improve channel utilization and reduce interference.

Enhanced SecurityWi-Fi 7 supports the latest security features, such as WPA3 and Enhanced Open. This will make your wireless connection more secure and less vulnerable to attack.

Overall, Intel’s Wi-Fi 7 adapters are expected to offer a number of benefits including faster speeds, lower latency, improved reliability, and enhanced security. 

If you are looking for the best possible wireless performance, I think you should consider using an Intel Wi-Fi 7 adapter when they will be released. 

Though these are just rumours, we will have to wait for the release to confirm all the features of the Intel Wi-Fi 7 adapter. Till then stay connected with oreonow.

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