In large and crowded spaces, what happens when everyone expects to be connected … all at once?
If you’ve ever tried to call a friend from a packed stadium, track down a coworker inside a busy convention center or coordinate with family during a big outdoor event, then you know what it’s like when these seemingly simple tasks suddenly become impossible.
If wireless systems aren’t designed for that level of demand, then vital connections fail. Some devices struggle to connect while others can’t connect at all. Calls drop, messages don’t send, apps time out.
“More bandwidth” isn’t always the answer
To improve wireless in dense environments, the first instinct for many owners and operators is to add more bandwidth or additional access points. But poor performance usually isn’t just about bandwidth … it’s about how well the wireless network handles heavy traffic.
In many cases, too many devices are trying to share the same bandwidth at once. There’s only so much available capacity, and every device has to compete for a portion of it. Traditional tactics don’t make this issue better. In fact, trying to increase capacity can create more performance problems.
For instance, attempting to increase bandwidth to boost throughput can create co‑channel interference (CCI), where access points and devices end up talking over each other as they try to use the same channel.
Because access points share the same limited bandwidth, adding more of them can increase signal noise. That leads to slower speeds and higher latency, as access points and connected devices take turns transmitting data instead of sending it simultaneously.
The bottom line: Adding more access points and bandwidth doesn’t address how efficiently the network manages shared capacity. But that’s where Wi-Fi 7 comes in.
Wi‑Fi 7 takes a different approach to creating and sharing wireless capacity.
Wi-Fi 7 focuses on increasing capacity and efficiency
As the next generation of wireless technology, Wi‑Fi 7 makes intelligent use of available bandwidth in dense environments (instead of asking for more of it).
While earlier generations of Wi-Fi focused on peak data rates, Wi-Fi 7 is all about improving area traffic capacity and connection density without assuming that:
- More bandwidth is needed
- More access points are required
- Existing networks need to be completely rebuilt
What is Wi-Fi 7?
Wi‑Fi 7 allows more devices to share existing bandwidth more efficiently so they can operate reliably within the same space and using the same infrastructure, including Category 6A cabling and RJ45 connections already in place.
Wi-Fi 7 features that enable smarter performance
These Wi-Fi 7 capabilities are made possible through advanced radio techniques like MIMO and QAM … not through significant changes to how buildings are wired.
What are MIMO and QAM?
MIMO
Earlier Wi-Fi standards are limited in terms of how many devices can be served at once. Access points serve one device, and then the next and so on, which presents limitations as device counts rise.
Multi‑user MIMO, used in Wi-Fi 7, lets access points communicate with more devices simultaneously and without bandwidth increases.
QAM
Early versions of QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) top out at lower modulation orders, which limits how much data each transmission can carry over a given channel.
But Wi‑Fi 7’s use of higher‑order QAM, like 4K‑QAM, allows significantly more data to move through the same spectrum “segment.” This increases throughput without requiring changes to infrastructure.
What this means for smart buildings
Wi-Fi 7’s capacity and efficiency allow it to support more stable, simultaneous connections. This is key for smart buildings that depend on constant data transmission and timely responses for applications like:
- Asset tracking
- Mobile work orders
- Occupancy sensing
- Safety alerts
- Wayfinding
By using existing bandwidth more intelligently through features like MIMO and QAM, Wi‑Fi 7 reduces the need for additional access points and helps owners and operators make better use of their existing network infrastructure. For example, Wi‑Fi 7 performance still falls well within what Category 6A cabling and RJ45 connectors can support today.
As device density continues to increase and Wi‑Fi 7 is more broadly adopted, however, wireless capacity will eventually become a constraint it’s “used up.” At that point, higher‑speed links to access points will be needed to prevent bottlenecks.
Looking ahead, Wi‑Fi 7’s full potential is expected to be realized in the next three to five years. By then, backbone speeds will need to reach 40+ Gb/s to support access points. Alternative options to copper will be required to deliver higher speeds over practical distances reliably. (Category 6A and Category 7 can’t handle the capacity; Category 8 may be able to support more bandwidth and faster speeds but will be limited to much shorter runs.)
That means it’s time to start planning for new ways of delivering data and power to access points where copper cannot.
Getting ready for Wi-Fi 7
Wi‑Fi 7 offers a way to support more people, more devices and more building systems over existing infrastructure.
The first step in the transition is to rethink how your wireless systems are designed and used. Belden can help owners, designers and operators start planning for Wi‑Fi 7 now when it comes to:
- Space usage
- Device growth
- Critical applications
- Infrastructure for access points
Belden’s complete connection solutions can support Wi‑Fi 7 and help you determine when existing copper will be sufficient, when to introduce higher‑speed links and where fiber connections will be needed so your network is ready when Wi‑Fi 7 adoption accelerates.