Qualcomm unveils world first Wi-Fi 7 chip

US telecoms giant Qualcomm has unveiled what it claims is the “world’s first” Wi-Fi 7 compatible product, the FastConnect 7800 connectivity chip.

Qualcomm is expected to release the FastConnect 7800 in the second half of 2022, paving the way for it to be included in compatible devices once Wi-Fi 7 becomes available. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest generation of wireless internet technology which the World Broadband Alliance (WBA) expects to become mainstream by 2025.

The company claims the connectivity chip will enable peak speeds of 5.8Gbps and sub-2 millisecond latency in a variety of devices. The chip achieves the headline speed and latency performance through a technique called High Band Simultaneous (HBS) multi-link technology which uses both the 5GHz and 6GHz band at the same time while reserving its 2.4GHz band for Bluetooth use.

As part of the design of the chip, Bluetooth power consumption, range and pairing speed itself is boosted through the use of Dual Bluetooth technology, which when combined with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology, should make any device powered by the chip able to deliver superior audio performance according to the company.

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Dino Bekis, vice president at Qualcomm Technologies, said: “Introducing the first Wi-Fi 7 solution to the industry might be enough for some, but with the introduction of HBS Multi-Link we take performance to the next level, shattering expectations for speed and latency.

“Coupled with up to 50% lower power consumption and Intelligent Dual Bluetooth with advanced Snapdragon Sound capabilities, FastConnect 7800 is simply the best client connectivity offering in the industry.”

The WBA estimates that up to 83% of service providers, equipment manufacturers, and enterprises will have adopted Wi-Fi 6 technology by the end of 2022.

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