The State Of Wi-Fi Today and Why Timing Solutions Continue to Play a Primary Role

In 2024, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that it would begin certifying new devices for Wi-Fi 7 (standard 802.11be). This Alliance, which formed at the turn of the century to create a network of companies responsible for creating and advancing Wi-Fi technology, promised a new protocol that would deliver high speed for today’s advanced applications, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and smart home and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. 

In mid-September 2024, Apple announced that its new iPhone 16 would adopt Wi-Fi 7 standards. This adoption means high performance for Apple’s new phones, which are estimated to have four-to-five-times faster internet speeds than Wi-Fi 6 and 6E. An exponential speed increase demonstrates that new technologies are raising the bar on performance requirements for connectivity. This breakthrough also reveals that Wi-Fi, which has been indispensable for communication in the digital age, is evolving right alongside market demand. 

What Is Wi-Fi? How Did We Get Here?

Before Wi-Fi, an Ethernet connection was the primary way to transmit data across a network. Wi-Fi (short for Wireless Fidelity) took this tech a step forward by allowing devices to connect to the internet and exchange data by radio waves instead of a direct, wired link. 

Wi-Fi technology has continued to expand, guided by standards, which are a formal set of specifications monitored by the Institute of Electrics and Electronics Engineers. These standards ensure the consistent quality of wireless communication across devices from various manufacturers.

The first adopted Wi-Fi standard was introduced in 1999 (802.11b) and operated on the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The next series of Wi-Fi standards expanded band usage to 5 GHz. In 2009, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) utilized both frequency bands to enhance performance and reliability. Wi-Fi 6 expanded this technology to the 6 GHz band in 2019.

With each of these expansions, this technology’s capabilities have increased as well, including:

  • Higher data rates.
  • Improved connectivity.
  • Operability in crowded radio frequency conditions.
  • Better user experience for new internet-dependent technologies, such as media streaming.

A Step Forward With Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7 takes Wi-Fi 6 and 6e a step forward, allowing users to leverage multiple frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz) for even smoother, seamless connectivity. WIRED magazine’s report on Wi-Fi 7 touts the benefits of this new protocol:

  • Speed
  • Broader connection capacity
  • Minimal lag or delay in data transmission
  • A wider range of usable channels within these frequency bands 
  • Strong performance even when network congestion is high

In particular, WIRED cites Wi-Fi 7’s Multi-link Operation (MLO) and High QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) as key capabilities that distinguishes this protocol from its predecessors. MLO allows data transmission across multiple frequency bands. High QAM gives users access to transmitting larger amounts of data. 

Further, Wi-Fi 7 features upgraded MIMO (multiple input, multiple output), which was carried over from Wi-Fi 6e. MIMO allows a single transmission to simultaneously communicate with several devices.

Wi-Fi 7 and Today’s Timing Solutions 

To accomplish higher data rates, faster speeds and optimal transmission capability, quartz crystals and quartz crystal oscillators for timing must control Wi-Fi 7’s frequency signal.

Wider frequency channels, techniques that increase data rates, the ability to travel across multiple bands or make transmissions to multiple devices at once all require frequency-control solutions. These solutions limit phase noise, reduce jitter and provide excellent stability.

Carefully selected components, such as tuning fork crystals (32.768 kHz) or oscillators with high stability over temperature, enable Wi-Fi 7’s success in home and industrial products. Quartz-based timing solutions further enhance a user’s experience, whether Wi-Fi 7 is required for monitoring sensors in a planted field, on an assembly line or as part of a consumer’s HVAC system. 

Designers wishing to harness Wi-Fi 7 for smart home and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications should consider real time clocks for timekeeping and power inductors for power management, alongside selecting premium crystals and oscillators. 

New Wi-Fi Standards Will Always Depend On Timing Solutions 

Frequency control is an indispensable part of today’s and tomorrow’s Wi-Fi advancements. By virtue of its technology, effective connectivity cannot take place without electronic components that stabilize a frequency signal for high performance under a wide variety of conditions. 

For a comprehensive view of Wi-Fi’s technical specifications – and recommendations for timing solutions, including crystal tuning forks and quartz crystal oscillators for timing that complement Wi-Fi-7-ready applications – bookmark and read this resource from ECS Inc. 

The Continued Growth Of Wi-Fi Technology was last modified: October 14th, 2024 by Jessica Moore