What is WiFi 7: What to Know About the Next Generation of Wireless

WiFi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) is the next evolution of WiFi, offering significantly faster speeds, lower latency, and better performance in high-density environments. Think of it as a wider digital highway with smarter traffic control, designed to handle today’s growing number of connected devices—phones, laptops, tablets, and more. It’s built to meet the demands of a digital enterprise or user, cloud-based applications, streaming, gaming, and immersive tech like AR/VR. With every user now averaging 3 or more devices, WiFi 7 delivers the speed and reliability needed to power the connected experiences that define the future of work and digital life.

What is the difference between WiFi 6 and WiFi 7?

While WiFi 6 and 6E improved performance over previous standards, they still face limitations in high-density environments like offices, stadiums, and student housing. These networks struggle with interference and require devices to communicate sequentially, which can create bottlenecks and inefficient spectrum use.

The inherent limitations of WiFi 6 and 6E in efficiently managing multiple devices and avoiding interference highlighted the need for a more advanced solution. WiFi 7, with its ability to utilize spectrum more effectively and manage simultaneous connections with greater intelligence, provides a robust and reliable WiFI infrastructure. It future-proofs enterprise networks making the network reliable and performant as the demands on it continue to grow.

What are the Benefits of WiFi 7?

WiFi 7 offers multiple advantages that directly address the demands of several of Join’s customer use cases. The following technical advantages are available via the WiFi standard.

320 MHz Channel Bandwidth

Wider channels support faster downloads and uploads—ideal for real-time collaboration, HD video conferencing, and large file transfers.

Higher QAM (4K QAM)

Improved spectral efficiency enables high data rates, supporting dozens of devices simultaneously streaming, gaming, or uploading—perfect for student housing and stadiums.

Multi-Link Operation (MLO)

WiFi 7 devices can use multiple frequency bands at once, improving reliability and reducing latency for mission-critical applications.

Lower Latency

Enhanced spectrum utilization ensures near real-time responsiveness, essential for remote control, diagnostics, and interactive collaboration tools.

Support for Advanced Applications

WiFi 7 enables seamless IoT integration and high-bandwidth services. Join’s platform goes further—managing the network, sensors, and analytics for use cases like vehicle counting, occupancy tracking, and environmental monitoring.

How Secure is WiFi 7?

WiFi 7 builds on the robust WPA3 security standard, offering strong encryption, protection against brute-force attacks, and individualized data security for each device.

What Devices Support WiFi 7?

There are a growing number of client devices emerging with support for the new standard including the latest generation of high-end smartphones and laptops. It is important to note that WiFi 7 is backward compatible and can support older generations of WiFi devices including WiFI 5 devices. Once the WiFi 7 network is in place, organizations can plan a gradual upgrade to newer laptops and devices that incorporate WiFi 7 technology. These can then leverage WiFI 7’s enhanced speed, lower latency, and increased capacity.

When Should You Upgrade to Wifi 7?

There are two reasons to upgrade to a WiFi 7 network:

1. When your current network infrastructure struggles to support commonly used cloud conferencing tools, increasing numbers of users and devices connecting to the network, or high-bandwidth cloud applications. If your users are experiencing significant congestion or are using applications that require lower latency for critical real-time communications,  your network is due for a change.
2. If your network is up for a refresh cycle with expiring licenses and outdated network equipment, it is time to evaluate your budget against the long-term benefits of future-proofing your network with WiFi 7. WiFi 7 allows you to ready your network to meet the ever-increasing demands on the network including supporting emerging technologies and the increasing density of connected devices.

What Does Upgrading to WiFi 7 Look Like?

Upgrading to WiFi 7 is a strategic move that involves a few key steps to ensure seamless integration and maximum value.

1. Assess Network Needs and Goals

Your organization should evaluate current network performance, device density, latency-sensitive applications (like video calls or IoT), and growth projections to understand usage and growth patterns. This helps determine a gradual refresh path.

2. Audit Existing Infrastructure

The IT team should review the access points, switches, cabling, and backend systems to identify what can be reused and what needs upgrading (e.g., support for 6 GHz, multi-gig switches). This means they need to either create or update their inventory list for hardware and software including licensing and support.

3. Select WiFi 7-Compatible Hardware

Next they need to research the available hardware vendors and compare pricing. Choosing a vendor that meets the enterprise’s WiFi and security requirements as well as provides value is a heavy lift that the IT team has to perform along with their day jobs. Finally they need to pick enterprise-grade access points, controllers, and devices that support the full suite of WiFi 7 features such as 320 MHz channels, 4096-QAM, and Multi-Link Operation.

4. Plan for Deployment

The IT team along with operations must develop a rollout plan that minimizes downtime, includes device testing, and accounts for legacy device compatibility in cases where this is important.

5. Optimize and Monitor

Post-deployment, the IT team has to onboard users and immediately use real-time dashboards and analytics to fine-tune performance, manage security, and ensure maximum ROI from the WiFi 7 investment.

Let Join Digital Help Future-Proof Your Network with WiFi 7

With Join Digital’s NaaS, upgrading to WiFi 7 involves a unique, strategic approach for both IT and business leaders. Join’s solution guarantees a smooth and effective transition for the entire organization. The final result is that users connect and start using the network without even realizing that anything has changed—until they start experiencing the faster speeds and lower latency provided by WiFi 7.

The journey begins with an assessment of your existing wireless infrastructure. Right now, Join is offering a Free WiFi Assessment to jumpstart the process. Get started today!