As schools continue to adopt more technology in their teaching and learning strategies, their reliance on WiFi grows significantly. Simply delivering a WiFi signal into the classroom is no longer enough, that connection must now be resilient, reliable, and able to support an ever-increasing number of digital tools.
WiFi 7 address these challenges by making WiFi more dependable and seamless, reducing disruptions in the classroom and enabling teachers to focus on teaching, not troubleshooting.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
WiFi clients have supported multiple frequency bands and channels for years, but once a connection is established, the device becomes locked to a single channel. If that channel becomes congested, the device must either wait or move to a different channel. Both of which introduce delays and impact the user experience.
Multi-Link Operation solves this issue by allowing devices to use multiple channels at once. There are several flavours of MLO: some rapidly switch between channels, while others allow simultaneous use of multiple links. Regardless of the method, the outcome is the same; improved reliability, reduced latency, and a smoother classroom experience.
Multi-RU & Puncturing
WiFi can operate using different channel widths. Wider channels allow more bandwidth, but in real-world environments they often introduce channel overlap and increase the likelihood of meeting with interfering signals. A single source of interference can temporarily render an entire wide channel unusable.
WiFi 7 introduces Multi-RU and Puncturing to address this challenge. This intelligent technology allows the Wi-Fi channel to be broken into smaller resource units. If interference is detected, only the affected portions of the channel are avoided, while the remaining clean segments continue to operate. This ensures data can keep flowing and the user experience remains uninterrupted.
6GHz
For many schools adopting WiFi 7 the biggest advantage will be access to the 6GHz frequency band, undoubtedly one of the most exciting developments in recent Wi-Fi technology. The 6GHz band is largely unused, offering abundant clean spectrum and additional channels that make wider channels more realistic and reliable.
This extra spectrum not only adds significant network capacity but also works seamlessly with Wi-Fi 7 features such as Multi-Link Operation and Multi-RU & Puncturing.
Improved Security
While end users tend to focus on their immediate WiFi experience, school leaders and IT teams must also consider security. WiFi Protected Access (WPA3) has already delivered a major improvement in wireless security, but WiFi 7 takes this even further by enforcing more robust authentication methods and stronger encryption. This ensures sensitive school data remains protected.
WiFi 7 builds on previous generations of Wi-Fi technologies to deliver faster and more secure wireless networks that have resiliently and reliability built in. Enabling a seamless experience for users in the classroom as they continue to integrate technology into teaching and learning.
At Redway Networks, we've deployed several WiFi 7 networks that are providing future-proofed networks for today's demanding digital classroom. Our superior wireless designs deliver extreme reliability and the bandwidth to manage hundreds of devices simultaneously enabling lag-free video and faster downloads.
