Wi-Fi Alliance has officially certified devices supporting Wi-Fi 7, marking the advent of the next generation of home wireless internet, according to The Verge. This certification ensures seamless interoperability among Wi-Fi 7 devices, with the expectation of new tech products such as phones, laptops, and routers featuring significantly faster internet speeds to be released this year.
Wi-Fi 7 represents a big speed boost over Wi-Fi 6E. // Image: Wi-Fi Alliance
The announcement from the Wi-Fi Alliance emphasizes that Wi-Fi 7 surpasses existing standards, particularly excelling in high-bandwidth streaming and low-latency wireless gaming. This is deemed crucial as virtual reality gains increasing popularity.
Kevin Robinson, the CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, informed The Verge that Wi-Fi 7 is the “first generation built from the ground up” specifically for the 6 GHz band, representing the faster and wider portion of the wireless spectrum initially utilized by Wi-Fi 6E devices.
“Over the past two and a half decades, Wi-Fi has revolutionized the way we interact and function as a society. It stands as the foremost technology for daily connectivity. We are still at the dawn of the 6 GHz era, heralded by Wi-Fi 6E and we are poised to unlock unprecedented wireless user experiences. Wi-Fi 7, which is the next step of this evolution, signifies more than an incremental upgrade – it’s a leap into a realm where speed, capacity, and reliability converge to meet the insatiable demands of our connected world.” – David Coleman, Director of Wireless in the Office of the CTO, Extreme Networks
Netgear, TP-Link, and Eero have already released routers into the market, with the initial offerings from the first two hitting the shelves several months ago. However, it remains uncertain whether these routers will receive certification. Notably, Eero’s current Wi-Fi 6 routers are absent from the alliance’s Certified Product Finder. While this absence doesn’t necessarily imply that they won’t be compatible with Wi-Fi 7 devices in the future, certification provides companies with the assurance that their devices will indeed function seamlessly.
The Wi-Fi Alliance highlights various aspects of the new standard that promise increased efficiency, throughput, and stability. Wi-Fi 7 devices are designed to be backward-compatible with earlier versions of Wi-Fi. While older devices may not immediately reap the benefits of the new features offered by a Wi-Fi 7 router, the anticipation is that new laptops and phones will soon capitalize on these advancements. For the present, it’s apt to view a new Wi-Fi 7 router as enhanced infrastructure, laying the groundwork for future advancements.
