With the recent opening of the 6GHz band, South Africa is poised to welcome WiFi 7, the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. This groundbreaking advancement will harness the power of the 2.4GHz, 5.8GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously, offering a monumental leap in performance. WiFi 7 is expected to deliver speeds that surpass traditional wired connections, making it the ideal solution for demanding applications such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and cloud gaming.
The emergence of ultra-fast Wi-Fi networks in the unlicensed space presents a significant opportunity to offload traffic from overburdened cellular networks. This could substantially improve network performance, particularly in high-density environments such as sports stadiums. By using Wi-Fi to manage a portion of the traffic, cellular networks can focus on delivering critical services and maintaining connectivity in areas with limited Wi-Fi coverage.
WiFi 7 is set to revolutionize unlicensed wireless communication
Promising download speeds of up to 46Gbit/s — nearly five times faster than Wi-Fi 6. Although these speeds are theoretical and real-world conditions may vary, the new standard undeniably offers far higher throughput than its predecessors.
Paul Colmer, an executive committee member at the Wireless Access Providers Association, explained that WiFi 7 builds significantly on previous Wi-Fi standards with a primary focus on speed. Each evolution in Wi-Fi technology has brought faster speeds and increased data handling capabilities, facilitating the connection of more users. One of WiFi 7’s significant advantages is its ability to aggregate three radio frequency bands simultaneously, providing a substantial increase in throughput.
To understand the significance of WiFi 7, it’s crucial to acknowledge the evolution of wireless standards. From the early days of 2.4GHz to the recent Wi-Fi 6 advancements, each iteration has aimed to address the growing demands for faster and more reliable connectivity. WiFi 7, with its expanded spectrum utilization, takes a leap forward by incorporating the lower 6GHz band, which has already been opened for use in South Africa.
However, it’s uncertain how quickly users will adopt the new standard in their homes and businesses. This adoption is contingent on regulatory approvals and the release of additional spectrum for public use. WiFi 7 technology holds tremendous potential, especially in addressing challenges posed by legacy devices and network congestion. Its efficiency lies in its ability to handle diverse bands simultaneously, ensuring better range, penetration, and overall network performance.
One challenge in the widespread adoption of WiFi 7 is spectrum allocation. While some countries have already opened the entire 6GHz band, South Africa is still in the process of doing so. As WiFi 7-enabled devices begin to go on sale in South Africa this year, consumers can expect significant improvements in connection speeds and overall performance. This aligns with the growing demand for high-speed connectivity, particularly in applications such as AR and VR. WiFi 7 also promises more robust connectivity solutions in large public areas such as airports and stadiums.
Fortunately, some WiFi 7 routers are already available in South Africa, and many recent smartphones support WiFi 6E, which operates on the additional frequency band essential for WiFi 7. However, to fully benefit from its advanced features, both a WiFi 7 router and a compatible device are required.
Countries across the globe, including the US, UK, Australia, Japan, and Mexico, are ramping up WiFi 7 deployments. While WiFi 6E has a maximum speed of 9.6Gbps, WiFi 7 is expected to reach up to 46Gbps — a fourfold increase over WiFi 6E. It promises faster speeds, a significantly higher number of connections, and the ability to maintain reliable low-latency performance.
The capabilities of WiFi 7 will bring South Africa closer to the World Economic Forum’s prediction that by 2024/2025, there will be around 50 billion connected devices. However, several steps still need to be taken before South Africa can fully take advantage of these capabilities. Manufacturers need to make WiFi 7-compatible devices readily available in the South African market, and internet service providers (ISPs) and network operators must invest in upgrading their infrastructure to support WiFi 7, including deploying new routers and access points.
