Wi-Fi 7
Icon used by the Wi-Fi Alliance for Wi-Fi 7 |
| Gen. | Vi- sual |
IEEE standard |
Adopt. | Link rate (Mbit/s) |
RF (GHz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | — | 802.11 | 1997 | 1–2 | 2.4 |
| Wi-Fi 1 | — | 802.11b | 1999 | 1–11 | 2.4 |
| Wi-Fi 2 | — | 802.11a | 1999 | 6–54 | 5 |
| Wi-Fi 3 | — | 802.11g | 2003 | 2.4 | |
| Wi-Fi 4 | 802.11n | 2009 | 6.5–600 | 2.4, 5 | |
| Wi-Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 | 6.5–6933 | 5 | |
| Wi-Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2021 | 0.4–9608 | 2.4, 5 | |
| Wi-Fi 6E | 6 | ||||
| Wi-Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | 0.4–23,059 | 2.4, 5, 6 | |
| Wi-Fi 8 | — | 802.11bn | 100,000 | 2.4, 5, 6 |
IEEE 802.11be, dubbed Extremely High Throughput (EHT), is a wireless networking standard in the IEEE 802.11 set of protocols which is designated Wi-Fi 7 by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It has built upon 802.11ax, focusing on WLAN indoor and outdoor operation with stationary and pedestrian speeds in the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz frequency bands.
In a single band, throughput reaches a theoretical maximum of 23 Gbit/s, although actual results are much lower.
Development of the 802.11be amendment began with an initial draft in March 2021 with a final version expected by the end of 2025. Despite this, numerous products were announced in 2022 based on draft standards, with retail availability in early 2023. On 8 January 2024, the Wi-Fi Alliance introduced its Wi-Fi Certified 7 program to certify Wi-Fi 7 devices. While final ratification wasn't expected until the end of 2024, the technical requirements were essentially complete.