IEEE 802.11be-2024
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| Gen. | IEEE standard | Adopt. | Link rate (Mbit/s) | RF (GHz) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Wi‑Fi 1 | 802.11 | 1997 | 1–2 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 2 | 802.11b | 1999 | 1–11 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 2G | 802.11a | 6–54 | ||||
| Wi‑Fi 3 | 802.11g | 2003 | ||||
| Wi‑Fi 4 | 802.11n | 2009 | 6.5–600 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 5 | 802.11ac | 2013 | 6.5–6,933 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 6 | 802.11ax | 2021 | 0.4–9,608 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 6E | ||||||
| Wi‑Fi 7 | 802.11be | 2024 | 0.4–23,059 | |||
| Wi‑Fi 8 | 802.11bn | TBA |
IEEE 802.11be-2024 or 802.11be, dubbed Extremely High Throughput (EHT), is a wireless networking standard in the IEEE 802.11 set of protocols which is designated Wi-Fi 7 by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It is 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 and the final version was published on 22 July 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 as 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. Wi-Fi 7 builds on the technology of Wi-Fi 6 through the introduction of Multi-Link Operation (MLO), allowing users to connect to 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands simultaneously.
- 8 spatial streams and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) protocol enhancements. (Initial 16 but removed from the specs in 2024).
- 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.[needs update]
- 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.[clarification needed]
Rate set
| MCS index | Modulation type | Coding rate | Data rate (Mbit/s) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 MHz channels | 40 MHz channels | 80 MHz channels | 160 MHz channels | 320 MHz channels | |||||||||||||
| 3200 ns GI | 1600 ns GI | 800 ns GI | 3200 ns GI | 1600 ns GI | 800 ns GI | 3200 ns GI | 1600 ns GI | 800 ns GI | 3200 ns GI | 1600 ns GI | 800 ns GI | 3200 ns GI | 1600 ns GI | 800 ns GI | |||
| 0 | BPSK | 1/2 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 61 | 68 | 72 | 123 | 136 | 144 |
| 1 | QPSK | 1/2 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 29 | 33 | 34 | 61 | 68 | 72 | 122 | 136 | 144 | 245 | 272 | 288 |
| 2 | QPSK | 3/4 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 44 | 49 | 52 | 92 | 102 | 108 | 184 | 204 | 216 | 368 | 408 | 432 |
| 3 | 16-QAM | 1/2 | 29 | 33 | 34 | 59 | 65 | 69 | 123 | 136 | 144 | 245 | 272 | 288 | 490 | 544 | 577 |
| 4 | 16-QAM | 3/4 | 44 | 49 | 52 | 88 | 98 | 103 | 184 | 204 | 216 | 368 | 408 | 432 | 735 | 817 | 865 |
| 5 | 64-QAM | 2/3 | 59 | 65 | 69 | 117 | 130 | 138 | 245 | 272 | 288 | 490 | 544 | 576 | 980 | 1089 | 1153 |
| 6 | 64-QAM | 3/4 | 66 | 73 | 77 | 132 | 146 | 155 | 276 | 306 | 324 | 551 | 613 | 649 | 1103 | 1225 | 1297 |
| 7 | 64-QAM | 5/6 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 146 | 163 | 172 | 306 | 340 | 360 | 613 | 681 | 721 | 1225 | 1361 | 1441 |
| 8 | 256-QAM | 3/4 | 88 | 98 | 103 | 176 | 195 | 207 | 368 | 408 | 432 | 735 | 817 | 865 | 1470 | 1633 | 1729 |
| 9 | 256-QAM | 5/6 | 98 | 108 | 115 | 195 | 217 | 229 | 408 | 453 | 480 | 817 | 907 | 961 | 1633 | 1815 | 1922 |
| 10 | 1024-QAM | 3/4 | 110 | 122 | 129 | 219 | 244 | 258 | 459 | 510 | 540 | 919 | 1021 | 1081 | 1838 | 2042 | 2162 |
| 11 | 1024-QAM | 5/6 | 122 | 135 | 143 | 244 | 271 | 287 | 510 | 567 | 600 | 1021 | 1134 | 1201 | 2042 | 2269 | 2402 |
| 12 | 4096-QAM | 3/4 | 131 | 146 | 155 | 263 | 293 | 310 | 551 | 613 | 649 | 1103 | 1225 | 1297 | 2205 | 2450 | 2594 |
| 13 | 4096-QAM | 5/6 | 146 | 163 | 172 | 293 | 325 | 344 | 613 | 681 | 721 | 1225 | 1361 | 1441 | 2450 | 2722 | 2882 |
| 14 | BPSK-DCM-DUP | 1/2 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 31 | 34 | 36 | ||||||
| 15 | BPSK-DCM | 1/2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 61 | 68 | 72 |
Comparison
| vte802.11 network standards | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency range, or type | PHY | Protocol | Release date | Frequency band | Channel width | Stream data rate | Max. MIMO streams | Modulation | Approx. range | |
| Indoor | Outdoor | |||||||||
| (GHz) | (MHz) | (Mbit/s) | ||||||||
| 1–7GHz | DSSS, FHSS | 802.11-1997 | June 1997 | 2.4 | 22 | 1, 2 | —N/a | DSSS, FHSS | 20 m (66 ft) | 100 m (330 ft) |
| HR/DSSS | 802.11b | September 1999 | 2.4 | 22 | 1, 2, 5.5, 11 | —N/a | CCK, DSSS | 35 m (115 ft) | 140 m (460 ft) | |
| OFDM | 802.11a | September 1999 | 5 | 5, 10, 20 | 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 (for 20MHz bandwidth, divide by 2 and 4 for 10 and 5MHz) | —N/a | OFDM | 35 m (115 ft) | 120 m (390 ft) | |
| 802.11j | November 2004 | 4.9, 5.0 | ? | ? | ||||||
| 802.11y | November 2008 | 3.7 | ? | 5,000 m (16,000 ft) | ||||||
| 802.11p | July 2010 | 5.9 | 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | |||||||
| 802.11bd | December 2022 | 5.9, 60 | 1,000 m (3,300 ft) | |||||||
| ERP-OFDM | 802.11g | June 2003 | 2.4 | 38 m (125 ft) | 140 m (460 ft) | |||||
| HT-OFDM | 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) | October 2009 | 2.4, 5 | 20 | Up to 288.8 | 4 | MIMO-OFDM (64-QAM) | 70 m (230 ft) | 250 m (820 ft) | |
| 40 | Up to 600 | |||||||||
| VHT-OFDM | 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) | December 2013 | 5 | 20 | Up to 693 | 8 | DL MU-MIMO OFDM (256-QAM) | 35 m (115 ft) | ? | |
| 40 | Up to 1,600 | |||||||||
| 80 | Up to 3,467 | |||||||||
| 160 | Up to 6,933 | |||||||||
| HE-OFDMA | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E) | May 2021 | 2.4, 5, 6 | 20 | Up to 1,147 | 8 | UL/DL MU-MIMO OFDMA (1024-QAM) | 30 m (98 ft) | 120 m (390 ft) | |
| 40 | Up to 2,294 | |||||||||
| 80 | Up to 5,500 | |||||||||
| 80+80 | Up to 11,000 | |||||||||
| EHT-OFDMA | 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) | Sep 2024 | 2.4, 5, 6 | 80 | Up to 5,764 | 8 | UL/DL MU-MIMO OFDMA (4096-QAM) | 30 m (98 ft) | 120 m (390 ft) | |
| 160 (80+80) | Up to 11,500 | |||||||||
| 240 (160+80) | Up to 14,282 | |||||||||
| 320 (160+160) | Up to 23,059 | |||||||||
| UHR | 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8) | May 2028 () | 2.4, 5, 6 | 320 | Up to 23,059 | 8 | Multi-link MU-MIMO OFDM (4096-QAM) | ? | ? | |
| WUR | 802.11ba | October 2021 | 2.4, 5 | 4, 20 | 0.0625, 0.25 (62.5kbit/s, 250kbit/s) | —N/a | OOK (multi-carrier OOK) | ? | ? | |
| mmWave (WiGig) | DMG | 802.11ad | December 2012 | 60 | 2,160 (2.16GHz) | Up to 8,085 (8Gbit/s) | —N/a | OFDM, singlecarrier, low-power single carrier | 3.3 m (11 ft) | ? |
| 802.11aj | April 2018 | 60 | 1,080 | Up to 3,754 (3.75Gbit/s) | —N/a | singlecarrier, low-power single carrier | ? | ? | ||
| CMMG | 802.11aj | April 2018 | 45 | 540, 1,080 | Up to 15,015 (15Gbit/s) | 4 | OFDM, singlecarrier | ? | ? | |
| EDMG | 802.11ay | July 2021 | 60 | Up to 8,640 (8.64GHz) | Up to 303,336 (303Gbit/s) | 8 | OFDM, singlecarrier | 10m (33ft) | 100m (328ft) | |
| Sub 1 GHz (IoT) | TVHT | 802.11af | February 2014 | 0.054– 0.79 | 6, 7, 8 | Up to 568.9 | 4 | MIMO-OFDM | ? | ? |
| S1G | 802.11ah | May 2017 | 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 | 1–16 | Up to 8.67 (@2MHz) | 4 | ? | ? | ||
| Light (Li-Fi) | LC (VLC/OWC) | 802.11bb | November 2023 | 800–1000 nm | 20 | Up to 9.6Gbit/s | —N/a | O-OFDM | ? | ? |
| IR (IrDA) | 802.11-1997 | June 1997 | 850–900 nm | ? | 1, 2 | —N/a | PPM | ? | ? | |
| 802.11 Standard rollups | ||||||||||
| 802.11-2007 (802.11ma) | March 2007 | 2.4, 5 | Up to 54 | DSSS, OFDM | ||||||
| 802.11-2012 (802.11mb) | March 2012 | 2.4, 5 | Up to 150 | DSSS, OFDM | ||||||
| 802.11-2016 (802.11mc) | December 2016 | 2.4, 5, 60 | Up to 866.7 or 6,757 | DSSS, OFDM | ||||||
| 802.11-2020 (802.11md) | December 2020 | 2.4, 5, 60 | Up to 866.7 or 6,757 | DSSS, OFDM | ||||||
| 802.11-2024 (802.11me) | September 2024 | 2.4, 5, 6, 60 | Up to 9,608 or 303,336 | DSSS, OFDM | ||||||
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.