320 MHz will be ‘mainstream’ in Wi-Fi 7 and 8, say Broadcom and Intel

Broadcom demonstrated the power of 320 MHz channels live last May at the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Summit in Geneva

Wi-Fi 7’s support of 320 megahertz (MHz) channels, double the 160 MHz of Wi-Fi 6E, has long been a headline feature, delivering unprecedented reliability and range while offering gigabit-plus performance. Because of these clear benefits, Broadcom views 320 MHz as “table stakes” and says that early adoption indicates it will be “mainstream” in Wi-Fi 7 and 8.

“Virtually every Access Point has 320 MHz support in the 6 GHz band and a high percentage of phones and PCs support 320 MHz,” Gabriel Desjardins, director of product marketing in Broadcom’s Wireless Connectivity Division, told RCR Wireless News. He noted that handset volumes on the market are split right now between 160 and 320 MHz, but believes the market is “moving entirely to 320 MHz in the near future.” And Desjardins expects similar penetration for the Access Point market, as the benefit there is also apparent: “Basically, at every point in your home, you’re going to get higher throughput with a Wi-Fi 7 AP than with 6E or 6,” he said.

When it comes to the Personal Computing Devices market, such as notebooks, desktops and tablets, Intel recently found that of the 269 models on the market, 87% support 320 MHz while just 13% only support up to 160 MHz. The company further reported that Wi-Fi 7 has ramped 2.3x faster than Wi-Fi 6E one year after the Wi-Fi Alliance Certification launch.¹

“Intel is thrilled to see the rapidly maturing ecosystem and growing number of devices with Wi-Fi 7. Support for 320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band is essential to enable gigabit speeds and wired-like responsiveness in more places throughout the home or office,” commented Eric McLaughlin, VP of Intel’s Client Computing Group and GM Connectivity Solutions Group. “Users will be able to maximize their broadband connections and enjoy great Wi-Fi speeds for a variety of new entertainment, collaboration, and productivity experiences.”

Broadcom conducted extensive 320 MHz testing in its Edge Computing labs in Dallas, Texas. Using a commercially available 320MHz-enabled phone and a commercial Broadcom-based Wi-Fi 7 access point in a large empty conference room, speeds in excess of 4 gigabits per second were obtained throughout the room.

In addition, to illustrate the power of 320 MHz channels in a challenging environment, Broadcom tested this feature live last May at the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) Summit in Geneva. The test environment was simple enough: a large, crowded room, with lots of movement, which is typically a challenging place for Wi-Fi. Yet Broadcom achieved consistent gigabit per second speeds at the furthest reaches of the room.

“These demos using commercially-available devices clearly demonstrate not just the value of Wi-Fi 7 operating in a 320 MHz channel, but also that device migration to wider channels is imminent. Seeing is believing. The ability to operate in a 320 MHz is foundational for indoor gigabit wireless broadband,” said VijayNagarajan, vice president of product marketing in Broadcom’s Wireless Connectivity Division.