MOBILE & WIRELESS By Bruce Christian It seems like just yesterday when we heard all the hullabaloo regarding Wi-Fi 6E specifications being adopted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards board. The hoopla was justified because the old standard for Wi-Fi had been around for 20 years. Wi-Fi 6E delivers an improved experience to address device and application needs in a range of consumer and enterprise environments. And, within just a couple of years into the transition from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6E, we are beginning to hear a rising chorus of what Wi-Fi 7 will bring. First, we know that each generation of Wi-Fi offers new features, faster speeds, increased throughput and better experiences. So, is there anything really new here and what can we expect? Well, last September, Intel and Broadcom showcased the industry’s first cross-vendor Wi-Fi 7 demonstration, with over-the-air speeds greater than 5 gigabits per second. The trial used an Intel Core processor-based laptop with a Wi-Fi 7 solution connected to a Broadcom Wi-Fi 7 access point. The testing achievement proved Wi-Fi 7 has arrived. “We are proud to highlight how next-generation Wi-Fi 7 can make new mobile PC experiences possible,” said Carlos Cordeiro, Intel fellow and wireless CTO for the company’s client computing group, regarding the test. “Industry collaboration is essential to ensure we deliver on the promises of this new wireless technology.” Broadcom’s vice president of the wireless connectivity division, Vijay Nagarajan, added, “Today’s milestone sends a clear message: the ecosystem is ready, and Wi-Fi 7 is here to deliver extraordinary capacity and blazing fast speeds to extend gigabit broadband. The reliable, low latency communication provided by Wi-Fi 7 is a key element of Broadcom’s vision for connecting everything as the internet evolves to its next iteration replete with immersive experiences.” Decade to come According to Intel and Broadcom’s statement, Wi-Fi 7 is the platform for the next 10 years of wireless experiences, which require higher speeds, lower latency, improved reliability and greater capacity. Wi-Fi 7 leverages new features including wider 320 MHz channels in unlicensed 6GHz spectrum, higher order 4K QAM data modulation, simultaneous connections across multiple bands with multi-link operation and improved channel utilization efficiency with multi-resource unit puncturing. Wi-Fi 7’s operation enables new product classes, including augmented and virtual reality, ultra-high definition 16K media streaming and superresponsive and reliable gaming, while supporting large numbers of connected devices in the home or office, said the companies. And with Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 emerges as 6E is still being adopted LUCKY NUMBER 7? 62 CHANNELV ISION | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2023
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