WiFI 7 is coming -- probably in one year or a bit more

[xiaofan]

TP-Link has the Wifi 7 launch event here. You can see that 10G LAN and 2.5G LAN are great match to Wifi 7.


TP-Link introduction to WiFi 7.
https://www.tp-link.com/sg/wifi7/
DongKnows news summary if you want to have a quick read.
https://dongknows.com/tp-link-wi-fi-7-hardware-unveiled/

 

[xiaofan]

Take note even TP-Link mentions in their website that they only expect WiFi 7 to be really launched in 2024.
https://www.tp-link.com/sg/wifi7/

 

[xiaofan]

And take note Singapore has not approved the 6GHz band for WiFi 6E/7 use yet.

Ref: https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/wi-fi-6e-routers.6527351/

 

[Henry Ng]

First of all it is still a very long wait till 2024. Second thing is home users may not need it as most devices like washing machine, TV and Aircon with wifi may not be able to use it. Most washers are using 2.4G wifi and not even 5G wifi for their remote start or remote access feature. The wifi 7 router may be expensive and some users may not be willing to pay.

 

[iduncheckmail]

No need la. Its like 8k tv . Way OVERKILL for the common man.

 

[Henry Ng]

No need la. Its like 8k tv . Way OVERKILL for the common man.

8K TV is over kill and over price too. Do not think most users will need it. Wifi 6 router with 160 Mhz channel should be more than enough as our internet only 1Gbps connection. If use 10Gbps then the router & other devices must be able to support a single 10 Gbps connection. This is not going to be so cheap that everyone is willing to pay.

 

[firesong]

No need la. Its like 8k tv . Way OVERKILL for the common man.

The common man who says that Wifi is too slow so they connect devices via cable? Cos that's the usual complaint I get from most people who connect their desktops and servers via Ethernet instead of Wifi. Even with current 802.11ax standards, they don't find it enough because of congestion and latency. Perhaps WiFi 6E/7 will change it for these people.

As for people who are harping on ancient technology devices, the newsflash is that it's not removing the 2.4Ghz band. Routers/APs will likely still broadcast on that band for coverage reasons. But eventually, devices should move off that legacy band and use something a bit better. But as long as people hold on to legacy tech, then that enables legacy network standards to remain.

It's kinda amusing how some want the latest and greatest cellular technology that gives them more bandwidth, but are the biggest naysayers about something most will actually use at home.

 

[xiaofan]

The common man who says that Wifi is too slow so they connect devices via cable? Cos that's the usual complaint I get from most people who connect their desktops and servers via Ethernet instead of Wifi. Even with current 802.11ax standards, they don't find it enough because of congestion and latency. Perhaps WiFi 6E/7 will change it for these people.

Haha, for these people, they may still go with 10G Ethernet connection and no need to worry about Wifi 6E or Wifi 7.

 

[xiaofan]

8K TV is over kill and over price too. Do not think most users will need it. Wifi 6 router with 160 Mhz channel should be more than enough as our internet only 1Gbps connection. If use 10Gbps then the router & other devices must be able to support a single 10 Gbps connection. This is not going to be so cheap that everyone is willing to pay.

Indeed Wifi 7 may be more meaningful with multi-gig connection like 2.5G/5G/10G connections. And indeed it will not become popular anytime soon. It may start to appear in 2023 and more widely available in 2024, but it may only get really popular in 2025 or even 2026.

 

[firesong]

Indeed Wifi 7 may be more meaningful with multi-gig connection like 2.5G/5G/10G connections. And indeed it will not become popular anytime soon. It may start to appear in 2023 and more widely available in 2024, but it may only get really popular in 2025 or even 2026.

Given how Wi-Fi 6 isn't properly popular until sometime mid-late last year, and many now can still accept and are still on Wi-Fi 5, I'm thinking more like 2030. Especially because there are more costs involved - changing hardware to be 2.5GbE ready, etc...

Still, it hinges on IMDA releasing the bands for that. We lack a lot of bands because of the congestion caused by our neighbours. As long as they continue to hog the airwaves with old tech, it makes it a problem for us to use.

 

[xiaofan]

Given how Wi-Fi 6 isn't properly popular until sometime mid-late last year, and many now can still accept and are still on Wi-Fi 5, I'm thinking more like 2030. Especially because there are more costs involved - changing hardware to be 2.5GbE ready, etc...

Still, it hinges on IMDA releasing the bands for that. We lack a lot of bands because of the congestion caused by our neighbours. As long as they continue to hog the airwaves with old tech, it makes it a problem for us to use.

Hmm, Wifi 6 was already pretty popular in Singapre in early 2020, one year after the availability of RT-AX88U in Singapore (early 2019). So our perception got 1.5 years of difference. Even with your perception, it is only two and half years after the initial availabilty of first Wifi 6 router.

As for Wifi 7, I think you are a bit too pessimistic to say 2030. Given the goverment's push for high speed Fibre Internet speed, I will think we will get Wifi 7 popular in Singapore before 2030, I am more optimistic to say in 2026 (two years after the initial availability of Wifi 7 router in Singapore). I think the latest will be 2027.

 

[Henry Ng]

Indeed Wifi 7 may be more meaningful with multi-gig connection like 2.5G/5G/10G connections. And indeed it will not become popular anytime soon. It may start to appear in 2023 and more widely available in 2024, but it may only get really popular in 2025 or even 2026.

Honestly if 10Gbps is same price as the present 1Gbps then i will sign up, any thing more than that i will not sign up for sure. When surfing the internet 1Gbps and 10Gbps make no different and can not feel any different except its price so why sign 10Gbps? It will not be popular for common people except those rich man.

 

[cyberet]

Thats what they say for 802.11n 5ghz, and 802.11ac, then 802.11ax.
We will always have congestion due to our high density living arrangement.

 

[Henry Ng]

Thats what they say for 802.11n 5ghz, and 802.11ac, then 802.11ax.
We will always have congestion due to our high density living arrangement.

Agree.

 

[Henry Ng]

For example a Wifi 6 router may be a AX3000 that should be able to support up to 2400 Mbps on 5Ghz Wifi but their WAN port can only support up to 1Gbps so how the AX3000 router support wifi speed of up to 2400 Mbps on the 5Ghz wifi wave? Can someone share a bit on this?

 

[Bumiputera]

As long it is cheap, just buy when u need.

I buy a Intel wifi 6 ax201 card for sgd$25 from taobao back in early 2020 to replace my faulty realtek card, long before wifi 6e was even the norm for router.

 

[Henry Ng]

As long it is cheap, just buy when u need.

I buy a Intel wifi 6 ax201 card for sgd$25 from taobao back in early 2020 to replace my faulty realtek card, long before wifi 6e was even the norm for router.

I do not think Wifi 7 router is going to be cheap. Look like very expensive to me.

https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/...coming-in-2023-before-wi-fi-7-even-gets-here/

 

[firesong]

Hmm, Wifi 6 was already pretty popular in Singapre in early 2020, one year after the availability of RT-AX88U in Singapore (early 2019). So our perception got 1.5 years of difference. Even with your perception, it is only two and half years after the initial availabilty of first Wifi 6 router.

As for Wifi 7, I think you are a bit too pessimistic to say 2030. Given the goverment's push for high speed Fibre Internet speed, I will think we will get Wifi 7 popular in Singapore before 2030, I am more optimistic to say in 2026 (two years after the initial availability of Wifi 7 router in Singapore). I think the latest will be 2027.

I'm using the standard issue telco routers as a general benchmark here, not commercially available ones.

This point is extra pertinent for Singtel users on ONR, since they can't change their routers.

It's true that our government is pushing plans, but it does not mean the grassroots reality follows that push. We can expect more complaints of poor network coverage on 6Ghz, because people just don't get that their single-router methods no longer apply. If users are determined to hold on to practises in the past and not bother to understand the differences or reasons behind how the higher speeds work, then the latest technology will not help them.

 

[xiaofan]

I'm using the standard issue telco routers as a general benchmark here, not commercially available ones.

This point is extra pertinent for Singtel users on ONR, since they can't change their routers.

It's true that our government is pushing plans, but it does not mean the grassroots reality follows that push. We can expect more complaints of poor network coverage on 6Ghz, because people just don't get that their single-router methods no longer apply. If users are determined to hold on to practises in the past and not bother to understand the differences or reasons behind how the higher speeds work, then the latest technology will not help them.

It is okay to use the ISP as a benchmark. Singtel is the last one to offer Wifi 6 router in their lower tier plans in this year (Starhub is also this year with the Nokia Beacon 2), three years+ after the general availability of the first commercial AX router RT-AX88U here in Singapore in 2019. Take note I do not count the higher end router (M1 RT-AX88U, Starhub Linksys Velop MX4200 and Singtel RT-AX86U) here as many users will only go for the ISP free router in the lower tier plans.

Using that as a benchmark, Singtel will most likely only offer Wifi 7 routers in late 2027, assuming that Wifi 7 router will only be available in Singapore in 2024. Even in that case, I think your 2030 prediction is too pessmistic.

BTW, I tend to believe Singapore government will approve 6GHz band (limited bands) for Wifi use next year (2023), after 5G coverage issue got fully resolved by the big three.

 

[firesong]

It is okay to use the ISP as a benchmark. Singtel is the last one to offer Wifi 6 router in their lower tier plans in this year (Starhub is also this year with the Nokia Beacon 2), three years+ after the general availability of the first commercial AX router RT-AX88U here in Singapore in 2019. Take note I do not count the higher end router (M1 RT-AX88U, Starhub Linksys Velop MX4200 and Singtel RT-AX86U) here as many users will only go for the ISP free router in the lower tier plans.

Using that as a benchmark, Singtel will most likely only offer Wifi 7 routers in late 2027, assuming that Wifi 7 router will only be available in Singapore in 2024. Even in that case, I think your 2030 prediction is too pessmistic.

BTW, I tend to believe Singapore government will approve 6GHz band (limited bands) for Wifi use next year (2023), after 5G coverage issue got fully resolved by the big three.

We will wait and see. I have reasons to believe that this will be a slower deployment because of the need to negotiate an entirely new frequency.

Opening a new frequency band for citizen use isn't so straightforward, and Singapore has to negotiate both with Indonesia and Malaysia who will want their slice of the pie. Even if common sense prevails that the frequencies do not have any risk of crossing terrestrial borders because of their relatively low power (I doubt they will even cross into neighbours houses too much), but these 2 neighbours are extremely and perhaps overly protective of their own interests.

To add to the complexity, those bands might already be in use for whatever reasons - military, commercial, etc. Which means we can't just open up. Since it's dependent on contiguous bands for maximum efficiency (I saw the spec allows for 320Mhz bands?), then it's quite wide.