What Is Wi-Fi 7? All You Need to Know

After a tidy two years sitting atop the wireless food chain, WiFi 6 (and 6E) is finally getting dethroned by WiFi 7. Yet, the brand-new wireless standard is more than just a simple “update” – it comes with a whole new bag of tricks promising faster and smoother connections than ever before.

Simply put, that means we’ll soon have better WiFi for work and play, though it’ll take a while for most of our current-gen hardware to catch up. So, in the meantime, let's check out how WiFi 7 works.

Quick Navigation 📍

🤔 What Is Wi-Fi 7? (Up next!)

🚀 Key Features of Wi-Fi 7 

🆚 WiFi 7 vs. WiFi 6/6E vs. WiFi 5

🤩 Why Wi-Fi 7 is a Game-Changer for You

🛜 Introducing the TP-Link EB810v Router 

🔥 How can I get WiFi 7 in Singapore? 

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

🤔 What is Wi-Fi 7? 

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest wireless technology standard that promises faster speeds, increased capacity, and improved connectivity, making it the next big leap in wireless technology. Officially known as 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), Wi-Fi 7 builds on the foundations laid by Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E but takes performance to a whole new level. 

Wi-Fi 7 offers up to double the bandwidth compared to Wi-Fi 6, enabling speeds and performance that are ideal for data-heavy activities like gaming, streaming, and working from home. With 320 MHz of bandwidth on the new 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 can transmit more data simultaneously, providing faster and more reliable connections for your devices. 

🚀 Key Features of Wi-Fi 7

On top of the bigger figurative pipe for data described above, there are three other areas where WiFi 7 stands out from previous generations of wireless standards:
 

1. Faster Data Speeds with 4K QAM ⚡

Improving Transmission Efficiency for Faster Connections

💡How it Works?

Previous generations of Wi-Fi, such as Wi-Fi 6, use 1K QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), which transmits data in smaller chunks, making it comparatively less efficient, especially during activities like streaming or gaming.

Wi-Fi 7, on the other hand, supports 4K QAM (4096-QAM), allowing 4 times more data to be packed into each transmission. This higher-order modulation carries 12 bits per symbol (compared to Wi-Fi 6’s 10 bits), resulting in up to 20% faster peak transmission rates than its predecessors. 

If we were to imagine WiFi technology as a shipping company: WiFi 7 would use bigger boxes than WiFi 6, allowing more data to be packed into each shipment. This means faster deliveries and more efficient data transfers.

✨ Why It Matters to You?

Wi-Fi 7 can deliver speeds up to 2.4x faster than Wi-Fi 6, making activities like 8K video streaming, online gaming, and large file downloads noticeably quicker and smoother. For example, a 15 GB file could download in just 25 seconds, compared to a full minute on Wi-Fi 6.

2. Stable, Uninterrupted Connections with MLO 📶

Maintaining Uninterrupted Performance Across Multiple Channels

💡How it Works?

Wi-Fi 6 and earlier generations rely on a single channel to transmit data, meaning if one channel gets congested, it can cause slowdowns or interruptions - especially when multiple devices are connected.

Wi-Fi 7 introduces Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to connect across multiple channels simultaneously, reducing congestion, improving stability, and ensures seamless performance even in demanding environments.

Bringing back the shipping analogy, MLO is like having multiple sea routes available. Instead of overcrowding a single route, deliveries are spread across different routes (frequency bands), ensuring that traffic flows smoothly and delays are kept to a minimum.

Plus, MLO enables dynamic switching and load balancing across channels, so if one path gets crowded, data can seamlessly shift to another, ensuring you stay connected without interruptions.

✨ Why It Matters to You?

MLO enables Wi-Fi 7 to maintain stable and fast connections even in busy environments, like crowded homes or offices with multiple devices. It minimizes lag in online gaming, video streaming, and video calls, providing a more reliable and responsive experience for everyone, no matter how many devices are connected.

3. Sidestep Network Congestion with Multi-RU Puncturing 🛣️

Maximizing Channel Efficiency for Better Throughput

💡How it Works?

With legacy Wi-Fi 6/6E, if any part of a large high-speed channel is being used by another device, the entire channel becomes unavailable, forcing devices to find an alternative. 

However, Wi-Fi 7 introduces Multi-RU Puncturing, which allows devices to utilize unused parts of the same high-speed channel. Even if the full 320 MHz channel isn’t available, Wi-Fi 7 devices can still operate on the portions that are free, making data transmission faster and more reliable.

Effectively, it’s like having a smart traffic management system for your shipping company—strategically timing deliveries across different routes ensures a smooth and efficient workflow, even during periods of heavy traffic.

✨ Why It Matters to You?

Multi-RU Puncturing in Wi-Fi 7 helps devices avoid traffic bottlenecks and improves efficiency in crowded environments. This results in more stable, high-speed connections even when multiple devices are using the network, improving activities like streaming, gaming, and file downloads.

🆚  WiFi 7 vs. WiFi 6/6E vs. WiFi 5

Confused about which Wi-Fi standard to choose? Here’s a quick breakdown of how Wi-Fi 7 compares to Wi-Fi 6E/6 and Wi-Fi 5:

🤩 Why Wi-Fi 7 is a Game-Changer for You

Never Compete for Bandwidth at Home Again 🏠

He’s watching the Smart TV, she’s working on a tablet, and everyone else is probably using their smartphones. All at the same time, no less.

Nowadays, smart devices have become so common that many of us probably own more than one, to say nothing of household appliances like smart TVs and refrigerators. In fact, as of the third quarter of 2022, research firm Statista estimated that a solid 94.4% of Singapore’s adult population already owned a smart device in some shape or form, and this figure is only expected to increase.  

But as the number of devices at home goes up, congestion issues will naturally follow, and that’s why features like MLO and Multi-RU Puncturing are so welcome on WiFi 7. They allow every user to enjoy the seamless online experiences that they deserve without affecting other people at home. Competing for bandwidth will become a thing of the past, and everyone gets to experience more of what they love, whenever they want to!
 

Lightning-Fast Uploads and Downloads with Wi-Fi 7 ⚡

Most folks today still interact with the Internet a great deal for all sorts of different purposes.

From streaming Premier League matches on TV, to uploading work documents online, and even connecting with loved ones over apps like Zoom, so much data travels to and from our devices every moment. In fact, content creators, influencers and other digital-centric occupations rely immensely on uploads to develop their profile and communities.

Now imagine being able to do all of these tasks not just faster, but more smoothly with WiFi 7. Putting this into context, a large file upload such as a photo collage that might have previously caused congestion on WiFi 6/6E now flows through the pipe a lot quicker. Pair it up with a super-fast connection like StarHub 10Gbps Broadband, and you’ll be able to get much more done within the same amount of time.
 

Level Up Your Gaming with Wi-Fi 7 🎮

When it comes to gaming, there’s little room for debate - you want your data moving as fast AND as smoothly as possible. After all, losing an important match because you lagged out at a critical moment is probably one of the worst ways to go.

But fret not, because such problems can be nipped in the bud by securing a WiFi 7 router like the TP-Link EB810v for your home. Not only does it come with a sleek, edgy aesthetic (perfect for gamers!), but it also offers BE22000 (Tri-Band) speeds and FIVE different ports for users to connect to.

At first glance, having multiple ports might not seem revolutionary at first, but it’s worth noting that today’s gaming devices offer the best experiences when they’re hooked up to a wired connection.

Among other reasons, these promise better and more stable connectivity, and the EB810v comes with TWO more 2.5Gbps LAN ports than most options on the market. Needless to say, this doesn’t just benefit those intending to game on PCs or laptops – console and even mobile gamers will also get solid mileage out of a WiFi 7 router as more devices adapt to accommodate the new wireless standard in future.

🛜 Introducing the TP-Link EB810v Router

Achieve Stellar Speed and WiFi Performance Across 3 Frequency Bands

🔥 How can I get WiFi 7 in Singapore?

Make no mistake, WiFi 7 introduces some truly remarkable changes, and the best part is that you’re only one step away from enjoying all that it has to offer!

To celebrate the launch of the WiFi 7 standard, StarHub is proud to present a whole new value bundle from just $69.95/mth. Combining the unmatched speed of our proprietary 10Gbps Broadband and UltraSpeed Network with the cutting-edge TP-Link EB810v WiFi 7 router, it’s ideal for techies, gamers, and everyday homeowners alike.

Finally, if you’d like some (read: unlimited) entertainment to go with your shiny new router, you might also want to consider our WiFi 7-ready HomeHub+ UltraSpeed bundle!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ❓

Still got some questions about WiFi 7 left in the tank? Let's see if we can get them cleared up!