The upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard, scheduled for release in 2024, promises significant performance enhancements over Wi-Fi 6E, offering theoretical speeds exceeding 40 Gbps. Key improvements in Wi-Fi 7, as discussed during a recent Qualcomm event, include 320 MHz bandwidth channels and 4K QAM modulation. Wi-Fi 7 also introduces a novel feature known as multi-link operation (MLO), akin to carrier aggregation in cellular networks, which allows the aggregation of various radio links across different spectrum bands to enhance throughput and reduce network congestion. MLO additionally reduces latency by seamlessly switching between available radio links.
To facilitate the transition to Wi-Fi 7, Qualcomm has entered the 10G fiber market by introducing the 10G Fiber Gateway Platform. This platform combines Wi-Fi 7 with 10G passive optical network (PON) connectivity and incorporates Qualcomm’s service-defined Wi-Fi technology. It is designed to support 10 Gbps speeds throughout the home and employs Qualcomm’s service-defined Wi-Fi technology, enabling broadband providers to provision the home gateway and control network services via a cloud-native framework. The platform can monitor real-time traffic flows and optimize various applications.
Ganesh Swaminathan, VP and GM of wireless infrastructure and networking at Qualcomm Technologies, noted that the 10G Fiber Gateway Platform is interoperable with existing operator optical line terminals (OLTs). Charter Communications is collaborating with Qualcomm to deliver Wi-Fi 7 and 10 Gbps Wi-Fi speeds to its Spectrum Internet users. This Wi-Fi 7 platform leverages MLO and provides connectivity across all three Wi-Fi bands—2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz—to enhance throughput and capacity. Charter anticipates making the new Wi-Fi 7 routers available to Spectrum customers in 2024, complementing its existing offering called Speed Boost, which enhances Wi-Fi speeds for Spectrum Mobile customers connected to Spectrum’s Advanced Wi-Fi at no extra cost.
