CW’s Distinguished Lecture on Wi-Fi 7 – Insights and Implications

Wi-Fi has come a long way, from what Tony Lavender of Plum Consulting described as “a niche technology in the 1990s” to a “ubiquitous part of wireless communications” today. Each new generation brings game-changing features, along with a fresh wave of regulatory and deployment complexities.

I enjoyed attending Cambridge Wireless’s Distinguished Lecture on Wi-Fi 7, organised by the Radio Technology SIG, and hosted by the University of Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. The Spring event brought together industry experts and participants keen to learn about Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) – its advanced capabilities and the practical, technical, and regulatory challenges standing in the way of broader global adoption.

Regulatory: global landscape

Tony Lavender opened the session with an overview of Wi-Fi’s regulatory environment. Currently, global spectrum harmonisation remains a significant challenge, particularly for the crucial 6GHz bands:

• United States: grants full access to 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz), enabling up to six 320 MHz channels.  
• Europe: only the lower 500 MHz portion (5925-6425 MHz) is currently open for Wi-Fi, with the upper portion under regulatory consideration through 2027.
• UK: Ofcom is considering up to 4 watts for indoor/outdoor Wi-Fi in the lower 6 GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) using Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC), subject to industry demand, with a phased approach for the upper portion.
• Asia-Pacific: most countries have enabled the lower 6 GHz band but remain undecided on upper portion.

These regulatory differences across regions don’t just pose theoretical concerns, it translates directly into increased device costs and delayed product rollouts. When manufacturers must produce multiple variants of the same device to meet various local rules, economies of scale take a hit. Consumers ultimately pay more or wait longer.

Furthermore, each region deals with its own set of “incumbent services” - long-established users of certain frequencies that regulators must protect. This further complicates attempts to unify the 6 GHz rules worldwide. As we eye expansion into the 7 GHz band, these complexities aren’t going away.

Technical Highlights of Wi-Fi 7

Richard van Nee from Qualcomm then delivered a comprehensive technical overview of Wi-Fi 7's capabilities. Four key advancements push theoretical peak rates:

• 320 MHz channels: double the bandwidth of Wi-Fi 6, boosting overall data throughput
• 4096-QAM modulation: squeezing 12 bits per symbol vs. 10 bits in Wi-Fi 6, increase data density
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): arguably the most transformative features, allowing devices to simultaneously operate across multiple frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) for improved throughput, reliability, and latency. However, running on multiple bands at once makes chip design more complex and can increase power use, meaning device makers need to carefully manage these trade-offs.
• Spectrum Puncturing: This allows devices to “skip” congested portions of a channel instead of abandoning it entirely, improving efficiency by 10-20% in real-world environments

Reality Check: The Measurement Challenges

Jonathan Borrill of Anritsu addressed the practical challenges in testing and verifying Wi-Fi 7 performance under realistic conditions. For instance, the 4096-QAM modulation requires exceptionally low Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) measurements below 1.26%, pushing test equipment to new limits. He pointed how common interference sources - from microwave ovens to USB 3.0 interfaces, can significantly impact performance and lead to dropped connections if not address in device design stage.

• Microwave ovens in 2.4GHz can cause large spikes of broadband noise  
• USB 3.0 cables can reduce reception sensitivity by several dBs
• Internal "self-poisoning" from cooling fans or power supplies can degrade Wi-Fi modules if they share the same PCB

So early attention to such details in device design is crucial to avoid costly performance drops and disconnects once products reach the market.

Final Thoughts

While Wi-Fi, 5G, 6G, LiFi, and satellite technologies are advancing at a remarkable pace, our approach to spectrum allocation remains rooted in competitive frameworks. The question in my view, isn't whether one technology will dominate, but rather how these solutions can be orchestrated through innovative spectrum-sharing approaches.

Could database-driven mechanisms, such as Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC), represent the start of a new paradigm where dynamic spectrum allocation replaces static band assignments? What new business models might emerge if we reimagined spectrum as a shared resource pool instead of a collection of siloed gardens separated by walls? Ultimately, the true benchmark for wireless innovation isn’t merely throughput; it’s how efficiently we allocate limited electromagnetic resources for the greatest societal benefit. 

You can discover more details on The Radio Technology SIG, the SIG Champions and their events, here.

Author: Sylvia Lu, Managing Director of YOOVIP Ltd, Board Member of CW. Click here to view her board profile.