Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 7
Comparing 2 standards across 13 specifications. 13 key differences identified.
Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) was ratified in 2021, operating across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Engineered for high-density network efficiency, it introduced Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), bi-directional MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM, and Target Wake Time (TWT), reaching physical rates up to 9.6 Gbps.
Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be, Extremely High Throughput) was approved by IEEE-SA in 2024, operating across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. It features 320 MHz channel bandwidth, 4096-QAM modulation, 8x8 MU-MIMO (an early draft's 16 spatial streams was dropped before finalization), and Multi-Link Operation (MLO), achieving theoretical speeds up to about 23 Gbps in a single band.
Specification Comparison Table
13 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
IEEE Standard
|
IEEE 802.11ax-2021 | IEEE 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput) |
|
Wi-Fi Generation
|
Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
|
Ratification Year
|
2021 | 2024 |
|
Frequency Bands
|
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz (Tri-Band) |
|
Max Channel Width
|
160 MHz | 320 MHz |
|
Max Theoretical PHY Rate
|
9.6 Gbps | 23.06 Gbps |
|
Typical Client PHY Rate (2x2)
|
2.4 Gbps | 5.76 Gbps |
|
Modulation Standard
|
1024-QAM | 4096-QAM (4K-QAM) |
|
Multiple Access Technology
|
OFDMA (Uplink and Downlink) | — |
|
Multi-User MIMO
|
Bi-directional (DL and UL MU-MIMO up to 8x8) | — |
|
Power Saving Feature
|
Target Wake Time (TWT) | — |
|
Spatial Streams (MIMO)
|
— | 8x8 |
|
Key Capabilities
|
— | Multi-Link Operation (MLO), Multi-RU Preamble Puncturing |