IEEE 802.11be explained

IEEE 802.11be should not be confused with IEEE 802.11b.

IEEE 802.11be, dubbed Extremely High Throughput (EHT), is a wireless networking standard in the IEEE 802.11 set of protocols,^{[1] [2]} which is designated by Wi-Fi Alliance.^{[3] [4] [5]} 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.^[6]

Throughput is believed to reach a theoretical maximum of 46 Gbit/s, although actual results are much lower.^[7]

Development of the 802.11be amendment is ongoing, with an initial draft in March 2021, and a final version expected by the end of 2024.^{[8] [9]} 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 is not expected until the end of 2024, the technical requirements are essentially complete, and there are already products labeled as Wi‑Fi 7.^{[10] [11] [12]}

The global Wi-Fi 7 market was estimated at US$1 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach US$24.2 billion by 2030.^[13]

Core features

The following are core features that have been approved as of Draft 3.0:

• 4096-QAM (4K-QAM) enables each symbol to carry 12 bits rather than 10 bits, resulting in 20% higher theoretical transmission rates than WiFi 6's 1024-QAM.
• Contiguous and non-contiguous 320/160+160 MHz and 240/160+80 MHz bandwidth
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO), a feature that increases capacity by simultaneously sending and receiving data across different frequency bands and channels. (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)^[14]
• Theoretically as little as 1% the latency of Wi‑Fi 6, through the use of MLO
• 16 spatial streams and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) protocol enhancements^[14]
• Flexible Channel Utilization – Interference currently can negate an entire Wi-Fi channel. With preamble puncturing, a portion of the channel that is affected by interference can be blocked off while continuing to use the rest of the channel.

Candidate features

The main candidate features mentioned in the 802.11be Project Authorization Request (PAR) are:^[15]

• Multi-Access Point (AP) Coordination (e.g. coordinated and joint transmission),
• Enhanced link adaptation and retransmission protocol (e.g. Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ)),
• If needed, adaptation to regulatory rules specific to 6 GHz spectrum,
• Integrating Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) IEEE 802.1Q extensions for low-latency real-time traffic:^{[16] [17] [18]}
  • IEEE 802.1AS timing and synchronisation
  • IEEE 802.11aa MAC Enhancements for Robust Audio Video Streaming (Stream Reservation Protocol over IEEE 802.11)
  • IEEE 802.11ak Enhancements for Transit Links Within Bridged Networks (802.11 links in 802.1Q networks)
  • Bounded latency: credit-based (IEEE 802.1Qav) and cyclic/time-aware traffic shaping (IEEE 802.1Qch/Qbv), asynchronous traffic scheduling (IEEE 802.1Qcr-2020)
  • IEEE 802.11ax Scheduled Operation extensions for reduced jitter/latency

Additional features

Apart from the features mentioned in the PAR, there are newly introduced features:^[19]

• Newly introduced 4096-QAM (4K-QAM),
• Contiguous and non-contiguous 320/160+160 MHz and 240/160+80 MHz bandwidth,
• Frame formats with improved forward-compatibility,
• Enhanced resource allocation in OFDMA,
• Optimized channel sounding that requires less airtime,
• Implicit channel sounding,
• More flexible preamble puncturing scheme,
• Support of direct links, managed by an access point.

Rate set

MCS index! rowspan="3"

Modulation type	Coding rate	Data rate (Mbit/s)
20 MHz channels			40 MHz channels			80 MHz channels			160 MHz channels			320 MHz channels
3200 ns GI	1600 ns GI	800 ns GI	3200 ns GI	1600 ns GI	800 ns GI	3200 ns GI	1600 ns GI	800 ns GI	3200 ns GI	1600 ns GI	800 ns GI	3200 ns GI	1600 ns GI	800 ns GI
0	BPSK	1/2	7	8	9	15	16	17	31	34	36	61	68	72	123	136	144
1	QPSK	1/2	15	16	17	29	33	34	61	68	72	122	136	144	245	272	288
2	QPSK	3/4	22	24	26	44	49	52	92	102	108	184	204	216	368	408	432
3	16-QAM	1/2	29	33	34	59	65	69	123	136	144	245	272	282	490	544	577
4	16-QAM	3/4	44	49	52	88	98	103	184	204	216	368	408	432	735	817	865
5	64-QAM	2/3	59	65	69	117	130	138	245	272	288	490	544	576	980	1089	1153
6	64-QAM	3/4	66	73	77	132	146	155	276	306	324	551	613	649	1103	1225	1297
7	64-QAM	5/6	73	81	86	146	163	172	306	340	360	613	681	721	1225	1361	1441
8	256-QAM	3/4	88	98	103	176	195	207	368	408	432	735	817	865	1470	1633	1729
9	256-QAM	5/6	98	108	115	195	217	229	408	453	480	817	907	961	1633	1815	1922
10	1024-QAM	3/4	110	122	129	219	244	258	459	510	540	919	1021	1081	1838	2042	2162
11	1024-QAM	5/6	122	135	143	244	271	287	510	567	600	1021	1134	1201	2042	2269	2402
12	4096-QAM	3/4	131	146	155	263	293	310	551	613	649	1103	1225	1297	2205	2450	2594
13	4096-QAM	5/6	146	163	172	293	325	344	613	681	721	1225	1361	1441	2450	2722	2882
14	BPSK-DCM-DUP	1/2							7	8	9	15	17	18	31	34	36
15	BPSK-DCM	1/2	4	4	4	7	8	9	15	17	18	31	34	36	61	68	72

802.11be Task Group

The 802.11be Task Group is led by individuals affiliated with Qualcomm, Intel, and Broadcom. Those affiliated with Huawei, Maxlinear, NXP, and Apple also have senior positions.^[9]

Commercial availability

Qualcomm announced its FastConnect 7800 series on 28 Feb 2022 using 14 nm chips.^{[20] [21]} As of March 2023, the company claims 175 devices will be using their Wi-Fi 7 chips, including smartphones, routers, and access points.^[22]

Broadcom followed on 12 April 2022 with a series of 5 chips covering home, commercial, and enterprise uses.^[23] The company unveiled its second generation Wi-Fi 7 chips on 20 June 2023 featuring tri-band MLO support and lower costs.^[24]

The TP-Link Archer BE900 wireless router was available to consumers in April 2023.^[25] The company's Deco BE95 mesh networking system was also available that month. Asus, Eero, Linksys and Netgear had Wi-fi 7 wireless routers available by the end of 2023.

The ARRIS SURFboard G54 is a DOCSIS 3.1 cable gateway featuring Wi-Fi 7. It became available in October 2023.

Lumen's Quantum Fiber W1700K and W1701K are WiFi 7 certified and provided with their 360 WiFi offering. It is the first device made for a major Telecommunications Provider that's certified for WiFi 7.^[26]

Client devices

Vendor	Model	Release Date	Chipset	Notes
		February 2023	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2^[27]	The OnePlus Open also features Wi-Fi 7 support
		April 2023
	Legion Slim 7 Gen8 laptop		MediaTek Filogic 380 Wi-Fi 7 card^[28]
	Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro^[29]	October 2023

Intel launched the BE200 and BE202 wireless adapters for desktop and laptop motherboards in September 2023.^[30]

The Asus ROG Strix Z790 E II motherboard is among the first with built-in Wi-Fi 7.^[31]

Software

Android 13 and higher provide support for Wi-Fi 7.^[32]

The Linux 6.2 kernel provides support for Wi-Fi 7 devices.^[33] The 6.4 kernel added Wi-Fi 7 mesh support.^[34] Linux 6.5 included significant driver support by Intel engineers, particularly support for MLO.^[35]

Support for Wi-Fi 7 was added to Windows 11, as of build 26063.1.^{[36] [37]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wi-Fi 7 . Wi-Fi Alliance . 16 January 2023.
2. Web site: Jackson . Mark . 2024-01-08 . Wi-Fi Alliance Officially Certifies Kit for New Wi-Fi 7 Standard . 2024-01-11 . ISPreview UK . en.
3. Web site: Shankland . Stephen . 2019-09-03 . Wi-Fi 6 is barely here, but Wi-Fi 7 is already on the way – With improvements to Wi-Fi 6 and its successor, Qualcomm is working to boost speeds and overcome congestion on wireless networks. . 2020-08-20 . CNET.
4. Khorov . Evgeny . 2020-05-08 . Current Status and Directions of IEEE 802.11be, the Future Wi-Fi 7 . IEEE. 8 . 88664–88688 . 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2993448 . 2020IEEEA...888664K . 218834597 . free .
5. Web site: Wi-Fi Generations . Wi-Fi Alliance . 16 January 2023.
6. IEEE 802.11be – Extremely High Throughput: The Next Generation of Wi-Fi Technology Beyond 802.11ax. López-Pérez. David. 12 Feb 2019. cs.IT. 1902.04320.
7. Web site: 2023-05-09 . Wi-Fi 7 Explained: A Solid Upgrade from 6E Dong Knows Tech . 2023-05-12 . dongknows.com . en-US.
8. Web site: IEEE 802.11, The Working Group Setting the Standards for Wireless LANs . 2023-05-12 . www.ieee802.org.
9. Web site: IEEE P802.11 – TASK GROUP BE (EHT) – GROUP INFORMATION UPDATE . 2023-05-12 . www.ieee802.org.
10. News: 2024-02-16 . The Next Generation of Wi-Fi Is Officially Here. But You Don't Need It (Yet). . 2024-06-06 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
11. Web site: Boever . Nick . 2024-01-17 . The First Wi-Fi 7 Certified Devices Have Begun to Hit the Market . 2024-06-06 . CEPRO . en-US.
12. Web site: Intel® Wi-Fi 7 Series Products and Solutions with Intel® Wi-Fi 7... . 2024-06-06 . Intel . en.
13. Web site: The Wi-Fi 7 market is estimated at USD 1.0 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 24.2 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 57.2% from 2023 to 2030 . 28 June 2023 .
14. Web site: Davis . Wes . 2023-10-16 . What is Wi-Fi 7 – and do you even need it? . 2023-10-17 . The Verge.
15. Web site: 802.11be Project Authorization Request (PAR). 12 March 2024.
16. Web site: IEEE 802.11 features towards RAW . November 2003 . Dave Cavalcanti. Jerome Henry. Ganesh Venkatesan . IETF.
17. https://datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/108/materials/slides-108-raw-wi-fi-tsn-low-latency-00.pdf Wi-fi TSN Capabilities
18. https://www.ieee802.org/1/files/public/docs2020/new-Cavalcanti-802-1TSN-over-802-11-1120-v02.pdf 802.1 TSN over 802.11 with updates from developments in 802.11be
19. Current Status and Directions of IEEE 802.11be, the Future Wi-Fi 7. E. Khorov . I. Levitsky . I. F. Akyildiz . IEEE. in press. 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2993448. 8. 88664–88688. free. IEEE Access. 2020. 2020IEEEA...888664K .
20. Web site: Altavilla . Dave . Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Unveiled: World's First Wi-Fi 7 Solution For Blistering 5.8 Gbps Connectivity . 2023-05-12 . Forbes . en.
21. Web site: FastConnect 7800 Qualcomm . 2023-05-12 . www.qualcomm.com . en.
22. Web site: Leading Wi-Fi 7 Momentum at MWC Barcelona . 2023-05-12 . www.qualcomm.com . en.
23. Web site: 2022-04-12 . Embracing Wi-Fi 7, Broadcom Intros 5 Chips Dong Knows Tech . 2023-05-12 . dongknows.com . en-US.
24. Web site: Broadcom Updates Wi-Fi 7 Portfolio with Lower Cost Second Generation Silicon .
25. Web site: Unboxing del primer router Wi-Fi 7 del mundo: Tp-Link Archer BE900 . 2023-05-12 . BandaAncha.eu . 5 April 2023 . es.
26. Web site: Lumen is first in the industry to achieve a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™ device . 2024-08-15 . Lumen Newsroom . en-US.
27. Web site: OnePlus 11 5G Review . 2023-05-12 . PCMAG . en.
28. Web site: Lenovo Legion's Newest Slim Series Laptops Combine Power and Agility for Gamers Who Create, and Creators Who Game . 2023-05-12 . Lenovo StoryHub . en-US.
29. Web site: Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro just got a huge upgrade that beats iPhone 15 Pro . 5 October 2023 .
30. Web site: Intel quietly launches its speedy Wi-Fi 7 chipsets . PC Gamer . 19 September 2023 . Szewczyk . Chris .
31. Web site: Here's the Cost of a Cool Wi-Fi 7 Computer | Dong Knows Tech . November 2023 .
32. Web site: Android 13 review . 20 October 2022 .
33. Web site: Linux 6.2 Brings Network-Related Updates, Adds 800 Gbps and WiFi 7 Support - SDxCentral. 12 March 2024.
34. Web site: Linux 6.4 Has Many Networking Changes from a New Performance Tunable to More WiFi 7.
35. Web site: Linux 6.5 Continues Making Preparations for WiFi 7, Enabling New Hardware .
36. Web site: Blog . Windows Insider . Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26063 (Canary Channel) . 2024-02-23 . Windows Insider Blog . 22 February 2024 . en-US.
37. Web site: Carrasqueira . João . 2024-02-22 . Windows 11 preview adds support for Wi-Fi 7 . 2024-02-24 . XDA Developers . en.