In today's episode, we're joined by Shawn Fisher, IT Director at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to discuss the facility's upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E. As the 14th largest convention center in the U.S., the PCC hosts over 250 events annually, ranging from medical conferences and industry conventions to rock concerts. Shawn tells us about the process of transitioning to Wi-Fi 6E and how the deployment helped to modernize and streamline the facility’s operations while driving enhanced experiences for meeting planners, event attendees, and PCC employees, as well as non-human use cases such as kiosks and POS systems. Listen to this episode to learn more about this deployment and hear Shawn's advice for other facilities that are considering significant Wi-Fi upgrades.

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In today's episode, we're joined by Bart Giordano of CommScope and RUCKUS Networks to discuss how Wi-Fi 7 and 6 GHz spectrum enables rich user experiences in enterprise. We learn about some of the Matter applications in the enterprise space, and we talk about how Wi-Fi 7 will support a digital transformation in factories around the globe by introducing greater capacity and reliability to manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics. Bart shares how Wi-Fi 7's use of 6 GHz spectrum will enable new enterprise use cases, including leveraging AI and data science to quickly resolve connectivity issues. Listen to learn more about this evolution of enterprise environments.

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This editorial appears in the November 2023 edition (Issue 10) of the Wi-Fi Alliance® Wi-Fi 6E Insights newsletter, a quarterly newsletter sharing updates on regulatory developments in the growing Wi-Fi 6E ecosystem. To subscribe to the newsletter, please sign up here. 

In a few weeks, the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) in Dubai will revise the international treaty that will shape the evolution of wireless connectivity. Chief among the issues before WRC-23 is whether to designate the 6.425-7.125 GHz frequency band (upper 6 GHz band) for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) services, such as 4G and 5G. Many countries are opposed to this IMT designation because numerous spectrum-sharing studies have conclusively confirmed that cellular network deployments will interfere with and disrupt important incumbent operations in the upper 6 GHz band.  

Moreover, the upper 6 GHz band is already allocated in the international Radio Regulations to the Mobile service on a primary basis. As a broadly defined service allocation,1 it affords the flexibility to use various mobile systems and applications of the mobile service (including cellular) based on national priorities and requirements. Importantly, by deciding against the IMT identification at WRC-23, countries will preserve the option to use this spectrum for license-exempt access, enabling Wi-Fi 6E (and very soon Wi-Fi 7) to meet the rapidly rising demand for localized connectivity. For more on this topic, see the insightful article by analyst Dean Bubley.2 

The vast majority of wireless data traffic (e.g., more than 80%) is delivered to end-users by Wi-Fi®, according to figures published by national regulators. In Europe, for example, broadband data consumption per household is set to grow by 675 gigabytes (GB) per month between 2022 and 2030,3 with most of it distributed to end-users via Wi-Fi. In contrast, Europe’s cellular data consumption per user is set to rise by just 60 GB per month in the same time period. While the absolute numbers will differ, the trends are similar in other regions of the world. 

The risk of a new digital divide 

As countries representing 30% of the world’s GDP have already made the upper 6 GHz band license-exempt, a vibrant 6 GHz Wi-Fi ecosystem has emerged, now offering more than 2,000 different device models, including routers, smartphones, laptops, TVs, tablets, and printers. The world’s flagship smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone 15 range, Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 7, incorporate 6 GHz Wi-Fi (i.e., Wi-Fi 6/6E) capabilities. In countries where the entire 6 GHz band is available for Wi-Fi access, consumers are making full use of these capabilities, benefiting from faster data transfer rates, lower latencies, improved power consumption, and much more. Meanwhile, in countries where regulators are holding back on 6 GHz Wi-Fi authorizations, the latest smartphones and many other wireless devices are required to disable this advanced functionality. The disparity is unfair to consumers living in countries where 6 GHz Wi-Fi regulations have not advanced, as highlighted in a recent Wi-Fi Alliance article. 

Advances in 6 GHz Wi-Fi continue to progress at a rapid pace. The next generation of Wi-Fi, WiFi 7, is geared for introduction in early 2024. Wi-Fi 7 is intended to support advanced use cases such as augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR) and social gaming, as well as industrial applications that require real-time capabilities, such as automation. At the recent Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) meeting in Bahrain, Wi-Fi Alliance collaborated with members including Broadcom, Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, and Meta, to host the first public demonstration of Wi-Fi 7 in the Middle East. The demo showed a Wi-Fi 7 device operating in a 320 MHz channel at over 11 meters distance with throughputs of up to 3.7 Gbps downlink and 3.4 Gbps uplink. Such performance depends on access to 320 MHz channels, which can only be provided with access to the entire 6 GHz band. 

6 GHz Wi-Fi products are delivering today, whereas 6 GHz IMT is barely a concept 

While 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices are readily available today, there is no commercial equipment available that can access IMT services in the 6 GHz band. Such equipment is unlikely to become available in any volume until the end of this decade, primarily because it will take governments time to consider whether and how to license wide area cellular deployments in this spectrum while ensuring coexistence with the incumbent operations.  

Ultimately, even if the upper 6 GHz band is cleared of current users, there is no certainty that the spectrum will be suitable for commercially viable IMT deployments. In fact, a number of IMT spectrum designations made at previous WRCs remain unassigned in many countries today. A study by Plum Consulting4 determined that no country has licensed all the IMT designated spectrum to mobile networks, with the majority allocating less than half of the IMT frequencies. Such reservations are becoming counterproductive to the underlying objective of international spectrum harmonization. The possible IMT identification of the upper 6 GHz band at WRC-23, in particular, would disrupt one of the overriding public policy objectives – enabling affordable broadband connectivity. Wi-Fi is a critical component of today’s connectivity requirements, and the 6 GHz spectrum is the only frequency band that can support optimal Wi-Fi functionality. 

A “No Change” decision on the 6.425-7.125 GHz band at WRC-23 will allow consumers and enterprises to reap the full benefits of Wi-Fi while advancing economic and environmental benefits. And nations that choose to authorize cellular networks in this frequency band can do so without amending the international treaty. Conversely, a WRC-23 decision for 6 GHz IMT would severely handicap the growing 6 GHz Wi-Fi ecosystem and impede its rapid deployment. Importantly, this IMT identification would exacerbate the digital divide between countries that enable the latest Wi-Fi technology and countries that continue to reserve the 6 GHz spectrum resources for a non-existent IMT ecosystem. 

This Special Feature appeared in the November 2023 edition (Issue 10) of the Wi-Fi Alliance® Wi-Fi 6E Insights newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please sign up here.  

The Road to WRC-23: Important decision-making that will affect the future of connectivity  

Across the world, many administrations continue to harbor concerns about the potential identification of the upper 6 GHz band (6.425-7.125 GHz) for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in ITU Region 1 at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). Administrations are particularly worried about the risks of commercial IMT services interfering with incumbent fixed link and satellite services operating in this band. A recent study conducted for the regulator in the Czech Republic1 recommended maintaining the existing status of the upper 6 GHz band after calculating the costs of migrating fixed radio point-to-point links to another band to make way for IMT commercial services. 

The Arab Spectrum Management Group, the African Telecommunications Union, and the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications have indicated tentative support for an IMT identification in the upper 6 GHz frequency band with yet to be defined regulatory conditions that will be necessary to protect existing services. The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) expressed support for the IMT identification only in the 7.025-7.125 GHz band, but could not reach consensus for a WRC-23 position on the 6.425-7.025 GHz band. 

In Europe, administrations are keen both to protect incumbent services in the upper 6 GHz band and to secure the future of Wi-Fi technology with sufficient spectrum to meet the burgeoning demand. At its last WRC-23 preparatory meeting, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) decided not to support the IMT identification in the upper 6 GHz band. European administrations agreed that CEPT may accept such IMT identification, but only if the WRC-23 satisfies the following five conditions: 

• Protection of primary services from potential IMT interference in the upper 6 GHz band is ensured. 
• New primary allocations in the frequency bands 4.2-4.4 GHz, and 8.4-8.5 GHz for the Earth Exploration Space Service for the continued operation of sea surface temperature measurements. 
• No limitations are imposed on the existing services and their future development. 
• The resulting WRC-23 Resolution must clearly outline opportunities for other broadband applications in the mobile services (i.e., WAS/RLAN), as well as sufficient flexibility regarding the future wireless broadband usage, i.e., by IMT, WAS/RLAN, or under a shared framework between IMT and WAS/RLAN.  
• WRC-23 would not approve a future WRC agenda item (i.e., for WRC-27) to study additional IMT identifications in frequency bands between 7 and 30 GHz where IMT would have the potential to jeopardize important European space and governmental operations. 

In effect, CEPT has recognized that identifying more mid-band spectrum for IMT should not be at the expense of other spectrum uses, such as terrestrial and satellite operations or the future of Wi-Fi technology in connectivity in Europe and beyond. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that the upper 6 GHz spectrum is critical to enabling broadband connectivity in Europe with the expanding fiber deployments and latest generation of Wi-Fi. 

Several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the U.S., have already opened the full 6 GHz band (5.925-7.125 GHz) for high-performance connectivity delivered by Wi-Fi. This fact is reflected in the WRC-23 position adopted by the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) for “No Change” to the upper 6 GHz at WRC-23. CITEL has highlighted the importance of harmonizing the upper 6 GHz to foster economies of scope and scale and produce a robust equipment market, benefiting consumers and national economies worldwide. 

In summary, while different regions have adopted different positions on a potential IMT identification of the upper 6 GHz band, there is widespread recognition that existing services in the band must be protected from possible IMT deployments. As that will be very difficult, perhaps impossible to achieve, WRC-23 needs to be careful not to undermine the significant benefits delivered by 6 GHz Wi-Fi. 

Four points the Wi-Fi industry urges national regulators to consider 

1. Do not restrict the 6 GHz band to IMT – keep your options open: 

The 6.425-7.125 GHz band is already allocated by ITU Radio Regulations to the Mobile service on a primary basis. That gives administrations the flexibility to allow the use of various mobile systems and applications of the mobile service (e.g., electronic news gathering, IMT, or RLAN) based on their national priorities and requirements. Designating this spectrum to IMT at WRC-23 would impede the introduction of the latest Wi-Fi and other technologies. With a diverse and growing 6 GHz product ecosystem, Wi-Fi fits perfectly with market needs and customer preferences for broadband wireless connectivity without disrupting 6 GHz incumbent users. When allowed, Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band quickly and significantly enhance the value of the spectrum.  

2. IMT networks cannot coexist with incumbent operations in the 6 GHz band:  

Commercially-viable IMT services (cellular deployments) in the 6 GHz band cannot coexist with ongoing incumbent operations in this frequency range. To provide extensive coverage, IMT-wide area networks operate at power levels that make it very difficult for them to share the spectrum. Hence, licensed IMT networks cannot avoid interfering with, or tolerate interference, from incumbent operations in the 6 GHz band. 

3. Designation of 6.425-7.125 GHz for IMT at WRC-23 undermines connectivity objectives: 

The absence of a commercial 6 GHz IMT equipment ecosystem means that 6 GHz IMT deployments are not feasible in the short to medium term. An IMT identification would stall the value and benefits from that spectrum, and exacerbate the connectivity divide with regions where Wi-Fi operates in the full 6 GHz band. The IMT spectrum requirements can be addressed in other frequency bands without impeding the introduction of advanced 6 GHz Wi-Fi technologies now or in the future. 

4. Wi-Fi access to the full 6 GHz band is imperative to the future of broadband connectivity:  

While high-speed broadband is delivered by either fiber, fixed-wireless, or satellite technologies, Wi-Fi is the primary means of distributing this connectivity to end-users. Considering that high-speed broadband capabilities continue to increase, with policymakers targeting multi-gigabit capabilities, it is imperative to ensure that Wi-Fi spectrum bandwidth does not become a bottleneck for broadband connectivity. Only with access to the 6.425-7.125 GHz spectrum can Wi-Fi support ever-increasing demands for data throughput rates, ultra-low and deterministic latencies, better mobility, and high densities of users/devices. 

Heightened performance for complex applications 

Wi-Fi® is foundational connectivity for countless complex use cases. High capacity applications that enable immersive user experiences such as augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR) and social gaming, as well as industrial applications that require real-time capabilities like factory monitoring and automotive use cases all rely on Wi-Fi to deliver high data throughputs and low latency. As use cases that provide immersive experiences, collaboration, and superior reliability quickly become mainstays in home and enterprise environments, Wi-Fi 7’s sophisticated feature set will bring the required level of advanced performance these applications demand.   

Wi-Fi 6E unlocked the unlicensed 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi 7 will heighten its potential. Based on IEEE 802.11be technology, Wi-Fi 7’s unique features offer extremely high throughputs, low latency and jitter, and increased reliability to support media-rich, immersive experiences. Wi-Fi 7 will deliver more advancements in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, and countries that make the entire 6 GHz band available to Wi-Fi will be able to experience its maximum potential – even in congested environments.  

Wi-Fi Alliance® published a podcast series that highlighted key features and benefits of Wi-Fi 7 from companies including Broadcom, Intel, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Read on for their key takeaways.  

The unique features of Wi-Fi 7 as heard from our members: 

• 320 MHz channels: The 6 GHz band provides massive throughput gains with twice the Wi-Fi channel bandwidth as Wi-Fi 6. In an episode of The Signal, Eric McLaughlin, VP and GM of Wireless Solutions at Intel, explained this increase in magnitude. “You go from the capacity of about 160 MHz channels in Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E to 320 MHz channels in Wi-Fi 7,” said McLaughlin. “So, you effectively double the size of the channel, which doubles your throughput, so you get faster speeds.”  
• 4K QAM: McLaughlin noted that the increase from 1K QAM to 4K QAM enables a higher density per signal for a 20% improvement in some aspects of performance. “If you're on a PC device and you've got a two-antenna solution, your theoretical data rate moves from a max of 2.4 gigabits per second, with 1K QAM, to 5.8 gigabits per second with 4K QAM.” This upgrade allows for flawless streaming of 4K and 8K video, social cloud-based gaming without lag, and video conferencing with impeccable audio-visual quality.   
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): MLO technology is “a pillar by itself” according to Rahul Patel, senior vice president and general manager, Connectivity, Broadband and Networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., as it allows devices to combine different channels across frequency bands together for simultaneous transmission and reception of data over multiple links. “Where congestion and spectrum are not available,” said Patel, “and where wider channels are not easily available, Multi-Link Operation makes your link a lot more robust and helps you on the dimensions of speeds and feeds.” In an episode of The Signal, Vijay Nagarajan, VP, Wireless Connectivity Division at Broadcom noted MLO’s immense impact on latency, “If I'm able to shift to a 6 GHz channel, which is lighter in terms of load, then that worst case latency drops tremendously. We've seen latencies drop from a second all the way down to 10, 20 milliseconds by the use of MLO.” 

An ideal match for multigigabit broadband 

As demand grows for multigigabit connectivity, broadband service providers are increasingly offering faster broadband to residential and business subscribers. In North America, for example, operators are offering broadband subscriptions for 8 gigabit broadband. Wi-Fi 7 is built to deliver on this capacity wirelessly. “Triband Wi-Fi 7 access points with 320 MHz channels, multilink operations, and 4K QAM collectively provide sufficient capacity to match even a 10 gigabit broadband connection,” said Nagarajan. 

Wi-Fi 7: Unleashing Wi-Fi innovation 

Wi-Fi 7 is fueling the evolution of wireless connectivity and will play a critical role across various industries, ranging from education to enterprise and even critical mission sectors. As Patel noted, “Applications like security, or managing logistics in warehouses, have more robust coverage across the entire warehouse because robotics are playing a big role in that equation. You want a certain level of manageability, a certain level of quality of service deployed. I think Wi-Fi 7 plays a huge role there.”  

By enabling higher capacity, increased power efficiency, and greater quality performance, Wi-Fi 7’s unique feature set will support interactive and complex use cases like AR/VR/XR, immersive 3D training, and high-definition video streaming. Wi-Fi 7 is expected to see increased adoption with Wi-Fi Alliance® certification availability coming in Q1 2024, which typically serves as an inflection point in the industry. With an estimated 84 million Wi-Fi 7 devices that will ship in 2024,1 Wi-Fi 7 will soon usher in the next generation of Wi-Fi.