RCR无线：2025年Wi-Fi市场脉搏报告

A fundamental shifttowards reliability anddeterminism Contents IntroductionThe future of Wi-Fi is no longer just about speed3 1. The state of 6 GHz Wi-Fi4 •Multi-Link Operation introduces deterministic throughput•Automated Frequency Coordination is progressing ‘cautiously’ 2. Wi-Fi 7: The service provider perspective10 •Smartphone traffic is ‘overwhelmingly’ offloaded to Wi-Fi•Reliable Wi-Fi will create new revenue opportunities for providers•Delivering whole home gigabit connectivity with Wi-Fi 7•The 6G vision of ubiquitous coverage needs advanced Wi-Fi 3. Wi-Fi and emerging technologies20 •Wi-Fi 7 and IoT: Unlocking the future of smart connectivity•Current AI-driven Wi-Fi optimizations•The fusion of edge AI and Wi-Fi 7 for next-gen applications 4. Roadmap to the future—what to expectfrom Wi-Fi 826 •Practical applications and industry impact•Barriers to achieving ultra-high reliability Conclusion 31 Wi-Fi 7 and beyond Introduction —The future of Wi-Fi is nolonger just about speed As digital transformation accelerates across industries and as our homes become more and more connected,the demand for faster, more reliable and lower-latency wireless connectivity has never been greater. Theemergence of Wi-Fi 6, 6E and now Wi-Fi 7 marks a critical shift — not just in speed and efficiency, but inhow Wi-Fi functions as a foundational technology for the future. Wi-Fi 7, certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance in early 2024, is not simply about higher data rates; instead, it represents afundamental enhancement in network reliability and introduces a whole new level of deterministic throughput.These advancements position Wi-Fi 7 as a key enabler of smart homes, gaming, enterprise applications andcarrier-grade networks. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of where Wi-Fi stands today — examining the state of 6 GHzadoption, the impact of Wi-Fi 7 on enterprises and service providers and the role of Wi-Fi in emerging technologies.As the industry looks ahead to Wi-Fi 8 and beyond, understanding the trajectory of Wi-Fi’s evolution will be criticalfor businesses, operators and regulators navigating this rapidly evolving connectivity landscape. The state of 6 GHz Wi-Fi Top RCR takeaways There remains a lack of global harmonization in the 6 GHz band. While the United States was quick to adopt the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use, theresponse from the rest of the world varied greatly. Multi-Link Operation in Wi-Fi 7 promises deterministic throughput. Multi-Link Operation, or MLO, better positions Wi-Fi 7 as a residential and enterprise IoT technologybecause it introduces priority channels and the ability to schedule traffic. AFC adoption is progressing “cautiously.” While it looked for a moment as if Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) presented a keycommercial opportunity, the Open AFC Software project is proving to be the most popularimplementation, according to the Wireless broadband Alliance. In April 2020, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made 1,200 megahertz of spectrumavailable in the 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz) for unlicensed Wi-Fi use, a capability referred to as Wi-Fi 6E. Manycalled the decision monumental. At the time, Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) CEO Tiago Rodrigues saidthat “Wi-Fi 6E will rewrite the rules of what is possible” and that it will lead to “higher speeds, low latency andservice levels that are equivalent to 5G networks.” Notably, the latest available generation of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 7 or 802.11be, was built from the ground up with the6 GHz band in mind. In a conversation withRCR Wireless News, Broadcom’s Director of Product Marketing Chris Szymanskipositioned Wi-Fi 7 as an “evolution from getting throughput to reliable, latency-sensitive, deterministicthroughput.” At the heart of this deterministic and reliable throughput is the combination of two key Wi-Fi7 features: 320-megahertz channels enabled by the 6 GHz band and Multi-Link Operation (MLO). Together,these capabilities make it possible to schedule Wi-Fi traffic, making it suitable for homes with severalconnected devices running at once. And it’s this that matters, not ensuring that a single application has afull 320-megahertz channel in which to operate. “It’s really just providing reliable, almost integrated wirelessbroadband,” Szymanski summarized. Here is more on those two key features, as well several others that define Wi-Fi 7: •320 megahertz channels—Wi-Fi 7 supports 320 MHz transmissions, double the 160 MHz of Wi-Fi 6, allowingfor materially higher data transmission rates. •Multi-Link Operation—With MLO, a device connected in the 5 GHz band that is suffering from degradedperformance due to another device popping up on the network will automatically — and very quickly — switchover to the 6 GHz band. •Preamble puncturing—This optional feature, introduced in Wi-Fi 6 but now part of the Wi-Fi 7 standard,improves spectral efficiency by allowing an AP to transmit a “punctured” p