Wi-Fi 7
IEEE Standard · 802.11be
Wi-Fi 7 is the shorthand name for the IEEE's 802.11be standard, ratified and officially approved on September 26, 2024. This standard aims to provide a significant improvement in QoS and throughput compared to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) via features like MLO, 4096-QAM, and use of 320 MHz channel widths on the 6 GHz band.
- ✓ 4096-QAM
- ✓ MLO
- ✓ High Throughput
- ✓ WPA3 Security
- ✓ 6 GHz Band
- ✓ 320 MHz Channels
- ✓ Multi-Gig Availability
- ✗ Short Range
- ✗ Low Penetration
- ✗ No PPSK Solutions
- ✗ IoT Issues
- ✗ Narrow Vendors
- ✗ Expensive
- ✓ High Traffic
- ✓ Commercial
- ✓ Single SSID
- ✓ Public Areas
- ✓ Office Space
- ✗ Low Budgets
- ✗ Light Traffic
- ✗ Solely Residential
- ✗ PPSK Wanted
- ✗ Extensive IoT Integrations
Wi-Fi Generation Throughput (Gbps)
Feature Capability — Wi-Fi 7 vs. Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 7 Key Metrics at a Glance
What is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)?
Wi-Fi 7 is the shorthand name for the IEEE's 802.11be standard, ratified and officially approved on September 26, 2024. This standard aims to provide a significant improvement in QoS and throughput compared to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) via features like MLO, 4096-QAM, and use of 320 MHz channel widths on the 6 GHz band.
Main Benefits from Technology
Some of the benefits that end users would see are the ability to stream at 8K resolution, reach multi-gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi, and receive less jitter due to the much larger packet size limits. MLO (Multi Link Operation) would provide connections spanning multiple bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz), offering significantly more stable connections to end user devices. This standard also introduces a stronger security algorithm with WPA3, further limiting brute force and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Current Limitations
Wi-Fi 7's main limitations stem from the extremely short range that the radios can operate at, topping out at around 20m with unobstructed LoS (Line of Sight). This would require a more thoughtful approach to exact locations for AP installations within units. Another current limitation that would directly affect operations is the lack of PPSK support on the WPA3 standard, which the 6 GHz band requires.
Opportunities for Deployment
Placing Wi-Fi 7 access points in locations that do not require any PPSKs, such as amenity, office, maintenance, and public facing (commercial, leasing) areas will yield the most successful results. These will be the areas that need access to a fast, high throughput solution.
Situations to Avoid
Any residential installations that require a PPSK solution are areas where Wi-Fi 6 or 6E should remain the priority. This also applies in situations where properties place a strong emphasis on any non-wired IoT integrations, such as cameras, access control, or smart building management systems.
What’s Included
Wi-Fi 7 Deployment
Wireless Experience
Security & Reliability
Is Wi-Fi 7 Right for Your Property?
Wi-Fi 7 delivers major performance gains, but it is not designed for every environment. At Spot On Networks, we evaluate traffic demands, infrastructure requirements, and operational needs to determine whether Wi-Fi 7 is the right fit, or if Wi-Fi 6/6E will perform better.
- High-traffic environments
- Amenity and public spaces
- Office and commercial areas
- Single SSID deployments
- High-throughput use cases
Schedule a Demo & See What
Wi-Fi 7 Can Do for Your Property
Connect with the Spot On Networks team to walk through a live demo, discuss deployment options, and find the right Wi-Fi 7 solution for your specific needs.
- ✓ Live Wi-Fi 7 performance walkthrough
- ✓ Custom deployment planning for your property
- ✓ Pricing and ROI breakdown
No commitment required