Wi-Fi Alliance extends Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 to 20 MHz-only devices
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Wi-Fi Alliance released a new certification for client devices operating only in 20 MHz channels that want to take advantage of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 features. The new certification extends the benefits of Wi‑Fi 7 to a wider range of connected products in smart homes, industrial environments and healthcare settings. This new certification promotes Wi-Fi 7 adoption in the IoT market.
Many IoT devices – especially sensors, wearables, industrial endpoints and low-power clients – are typically designed to operate only on 20 MHz channels. Historically, newer Wi-Fi generations favoured wider channels to deliver performance benefits, and those requirements often sidelined IoT devices that would otherwise benefit from the latest Wi-Fi. Supporting Wi-Fi 7 features at 20 MHz bring advantages and expands the number and type of smart home and IoT devices that can benefit from the most reliable, efficient Wi-Fi.
“By extending Wi-Fi 7 benefits to 20 MHz-only devices, we are unlocking the next level of performance, efficiency and reliability for IoT,” said Kevin Robinson, the president and CEO at Wi-Fi Alliance. “From the smart home to the factory floor, Wi-Fi 7 features improve deterministic behaviour, scheduling efficiency, and robustness of IoT devices in dense environments to bring an overall network quality upgrade and drive the next wave of IoT innovation.”
Wi-Fi 7 builds on more than two decades of innovation to deliver high-performance and deterministic connectivity across the IoT landscape. As homes and enterprises grow more connected, 20 MHz-only Wi-Fi 7 devices will deliver improved reliability and efficiency by selectively enabling advanced Wi‑Fi 7 features without straining resources. 20 MHz only devices can support features including:
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
Dynamically avoids congestion, improves throughput, and lowers latency by enabling connectivity on multiple links simultaneously, enabling “one-shot” association and seamless switching for more reliable performance in dense environments. - Downlink and Uplink (DL/UL) MU-MIMO
In Wi‑Fi 7, multiple devices can transmit upstream at the same time without waiting for each other, offering true simultaneous spatial separation and benefitting connectivity in dense IoT deployments. - Multiple Resource Units (Multi-RUs)
Combines non-contiguous sub-channels to maximise spectrum use and improve whole-home coverage, even in areas prone to interference or dead spots. Ideal for connected home appliances such as air purifiers, hair dryers and smart locks in large homes.
Benefits of 20 MHz-only devices include:
- Lower power consumption: narrower channels require less processing and radio complexity, helping battery-powered IoT devices run longer
- Smaller, simpler devices: 20 MHz channels allow reduced RF design complexity, making it easier to build compact or low-cost sensors, appliances, wearables and other IoT devices
- More reliable connections in dense environments: IoT deployments occur in crowded environments like apartments, factories and enterprises. Using 20 MHz channels reduces interference and improves link reliability in congested environments.
- Better coverage: because the signal energy is concentrated, 20 MHz channels help concentrate Wi-Fi signal energy, which often provides stronger, more robust links at the edge of coverage — ideal for distributed sensors
Industry and member support
“Wi-Fi Alliance has been a tremendous partner for us and our members. We have a shared vision to enable better experiences in the home through global open standards and continue to innovate together. We applaud this new update which expands the number and type of smart home and IoT devices that can benefit from Wi-Fi 7’s powerful capabilities, which will help with adoption of Matter and unlock new possibilities and use cases for consumers. This is a big day for the IoT industry and important step for the future of connectivity in the home and beyond.” – Tobin Richardson, the president and CEO at Connectivity Standards Alliance
“Infineon is happy to see Wi-Fi Alliance extend Wi-Fi 7 to devices that operate exclusively in 20 MHz channels, as this move will unlock a new wave of IoT innovation. This advancement is a key step forward in driving the adoption of Wi-Fi 7 in the IoT market, and we’re excited to be a part of it, providing solutions that support the Wi-Fi Alliance’s vision for a more connected and intelligent world.” – Sivaram Trikutam, the senior vice president of wireless products at Infineon Technologies
“Wi-Fi is the foundation for great connected experiences. Consumers have more devices in their home than ever before and Wi-Fi 7 helps them get more out of them. Plume was built on the premise of helping internet service providers deliver better experiences to subscribers over Wi-Fi using data and intelligence. This new update will advance adoption of Wi-Fi 7 adoption among smart home device makers and ultimately consumers, and Plume is eager to work with the Wi-Fi Alliance and its members, along with our ISP customers, to deliver the best experience possible while managing the complexity and demands of these devices and use cases.” – Dan Herscovici, the CEO at Plume
“As connected devices push intelligence further to the edge, balancing power consumption with data bandwidth becomes a critical imperative. By extending Wi-Fi 7 support to 20 MHz devices, Wi-Fi Alliance is opening up new ways for semiconductor designers like Silicon Labs to deliver greater capabilities to our IoT customers and Wi-Fi devices.” – Irvind Ghai, the vice president at Silicon Labs
“Synaptics is proud to help extend Wi-Fi 7 innovation to 20 MHz devices. We value our strong partnership with Wi-Fi Alliance in bringing advanced features and robust reliability to power-efficient IoT devices – enabling smarter, more scalable connectivity across homes, enterprises and industries,” – Venkat Kodavati, the senior vice president and GM of wireless connectivity at Synaptics
“Texas Instruments has been a proud member of Wi-Fi Alliance for more than 20 years and is committed to expanding affordable Wi-Fi connectivity in the IoT space. We believe that these new certification options for 20 MHz-only devices as part of the Wi-Fi 7 standard are a core part of this mission as it maximises spectrum utilisation, seamlessly connecting more homes and enterprises. These features match our shared vision with Wi-Fi Alliance to make connections simpler, scalable and more secure, creating endless possibilities for all applications.” – Marian Kost, the vice president and general manager of connectivity at Texas Instruments
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