Will 2024 be Wi-Fi 7's breakthrough year?

On the commercial front, Lessin believes that major enterprise hardware vendors, such as Cisco, HPE, Juniper, Aruba, and Fortinet, are approaching the Wi-Fi 7 market cautiously, yet are bound to become major market players. “I’m also going to watch Sophos Wireless and Ubiquiti UniFi, as they have had several compelling Wi-Fi 6/6E options.”

Software support

The Wi-Fi Alliance only approved its certification standard in January 2024, so software products and services remain scarce, Lessin says. “With AI integration top-of-mind for network thought leaders, we will have to wait to see what the likes of Juniper Mist, Extreme Networks, NetOps, Fortinet, and others will bring to the table.”

Li predicts that network software technology will need to keep pace with a massive and ever more complex assortment of devices and applications. “Just like we’ve seen with 5G network management, we will need intelligent ways to manage all the traffic,” Li (he) notes. “Similar to a 5G network on the application layer, we will see more solutions that can optimize the usage of Wi-Fi resources.”

On the security front, Wi-Fi 7 offers a significant boost in network protection. Wi-Fi 7 continues the move toward WPA3 and away from earlier security methods that have been shown to contain serious vulnerabilities, Li says. “We will see security software solutions that are targeting Wi-Fi 7 networks or devices in the market as well.”

Is Wi-Fi 7 fit for business?

While much of the Wi-Fi 7 buzz has focused on home users, the technology also brings significant benefits to a variety of enterprises, ranging from small- and medium-sized businesses to healthcare, academic, and industrial organizations. “With Wi-Fi 7, you will have best-in-class security, coverage, and performance,” Dion predicts. “Industrial environments, like warehouses, factories, and even external facilities, such as ports and airports; can all benefit greatly in delivering critical services at an unprecedented level of quality.”

As with the introduction of any new technology, enterprise adopters will need to create a supportable business case incorporating a demonstrable need and ROI before transitioning to Wi-Fi 7. “Facilities with dense user populations should consider if this technology is right for them at this time,” Lessin says. For businesses including manufacturing, transportation, and shipping, other technologies to consider are 5G, A5G Advanced Release 19, and private wireless networks, which may be a more compelling and effective option.

Looking ahead

A Wi-Fi 7E version will probably be released within a couple of years, Lessin says. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 8 is already in the planning stages, and it will attempt to reach a parity with mobile cellular solutions, including 5G Advanced and 6G.

Yet it’s probably too soon to begin talking talk about Wi-Fi 8, since the Wi-Fi Alliance just released its Wi-Fi 7 certification program. “In the short term, we’re hoping to see more progress on hardware support for Wi-Fi 7,” Li says. Over the long term, there will be increasing software and application optimization. “When some of the fundamentals are in place, we should see more smart IoT applications for enterprise users and customers,” he predicts. “These will probably have integrated AI and ML capabilities, so I, Robot might be closer than you think.”