Is there a ‘killer’ use case for Wi-Fi 7? Not really, and in fact, when it comes to the question of if Wi-Fi 7 will deliver new applications at all, it depends who you ask.
The latest update of the Wi-Fi standard, Wi-Fi 7, is designed to use huge swaths of unlicensed spectrum to deliver a maximum data rate of up to 46 Gbps. Despite following closely on the heels of Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 is poised for substantial growth, with market projections showing a five-year CAGR in excess of 45%, making it a more than $5 billion business in the next five years.
Wi-Fi 7 and the Future of Connectivity
From Quectel’s perspective, Wi-Fi 7 is well-positioned to support applications such as 8K audiovisual streaming, augmented and virtual reality, cloud gaming, and industrial IoT devices. Enterprises will deploy Wi-Fi 7 in offices, schools, and factories through routers. Rapid adoption will occur when Wi-Fi 7 integrates into mobile devices.
Empowering Enterprises
Wifi 7 is for enterprises with high-demand applications like large-scale video conferencing, cloud computing, and massive IoT deployments. Wi-Fi 7’s higher speeds and bandwidth will be a game-changer. In industrial environments, Wi-Fi 7 will find applications in automated warehouses, real-time monitoring, and smart manufacturing,. In those places where low latency and high data throughput are crucial.
Elevating Home Connectivity
In homes with fast internet, Wi-Fi 7 maximizes speed for better user experiences. It offers smooth gaming and 4K/8K streaming. As homes connect more IoT devices, Wi-Fi 7 efficiently handles them
Different Perspectives
Some experts, such as Jeorg Koepp at Rohde & Schwarz, expect Wi-Fi 7 to enhance rather than create new use cases. On the other hand, Andy Davidson of Qualcomm envisions entirely new possibilities. For instance, he sees Wi-Fi 7 enabling multi-user virtual reality (VR) experiences in homes.
Transforming Enterprises
Davidson argues that Wi-Fi 7 is essential for using VR and XR (mixed reality) at scale in enterprises, enabling high throughput and low latency across organizations. Wi-Fi 7 will make delivering these experiences at scale possible.
Whether you view the applications as “new” or not, Wi-Fi 7 is set to usher in a new era of connectivity for consumers at home and for enterprises seeking greater reliability and deterministic throughput from their networks.
In conclusion, while Wi-Fi 7 may not have a single “killer” use case. But it promises significant advancements in connectivity across various domains, making it a pivotal development for the future of wireless communication.
Source: RCR Wireless
