IEEE 802.11be

IEEE 802.11be, dubbed ''Extremely High Throughput (EHT)'', is a wireless networking standard in the IEEE 802.11 set of protocols which is designated 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.

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. This feature is optional for Wi-Fi 7 certification.
* Contiguous and non-contiguous 320/160+160 MHz and 240/160+80 MHz bandwidth. This feature is optional for Wi-Fi 7 certification.
* 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). This feature is mandatory for Wi-Fi 7 certification.
* 16 spatial streams and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) protocol enhancements.
* 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. This feature is mandatory for Wi-Fi 7 certification.
* Multiple Resource Unit (MRU) – Improves OFDMA technology from Wi-Fi 6, allowing a single user to have multiple Resource Units. This feature is mandatory for Wi-Fi 7 certification.

Candidate features

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

* 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:
** IEEE 802.1AS timing and synchronization
** 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:
* Frame formats with improved forward-compatibility.
* Enhanced resource allocation in OFDMA.
* Implicit channel sounding, optimized to require less airtime.
* Support for direct links, managed by an access point.

Rate set

Comparison

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.

Commercial availability

Hardware

The Wi-Fi Alliance maintains a list of Wi-Fi 7 certified devices.

Software

Android 13 and higher provide support for Wi-Fi 7.

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

Support for Wi-Fi 7 was added to Windows 11, as of build 26063.1.

Notes

References

{{IEEE standards

be

Networking standards
Wireless communication systems