Table of contents

• What changed (features that matter in practice)
• Why it matters (beyond “faster Wi-Fi”)
• First 48 hours: the upgrade truth-audit
• Operational realities (so Teams/Zoom don’t suffer)
• Evidence leaders want this week
• 7-day plan: pilot, measure, decide
• AI trend (blurb)
• FAQ
• Sources & citations

What changed (features that matter in practice)

320 MHz channels on 6 GHz. Wi-Fi 7 doubles the channel width of Wi-Fi 6E (from 160 MHz to 320 MHz) in the 6 GHz band, giving compatible clients room for multi-gig peaks and lower contention. Think of it as adding multi-lane expressways where you previously had two lanes. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

4K-QAM for denser data. By packing more bits per symbol than Wi-Fi 6/6E’s 1024-QAM, 4K-QAM can lift raw throughput by ~20% in good signal conditions—one reason vendors pitch “same AP count, more performance.” :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Multi-Link Operation (MLO). The headliner: clients can use multiple bands at once (e.g., 5 GHz and 6 GHz concurrently), improving reliability and cutting latency because traffic can shift away from interference in real time. Several enterprise APs advertise MLO support now or via software updates. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Enterprise-grade APs exist today. Cisco Meraki’s Wi-Fi 7 line, HPE Aruba Networking’s 730-series, RUCKUS test-bed platforms, and UniFi U7 (including U7 Pro Max) give SMBs a realistic path to pilot without exotic gear or controllers you don’t already run. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Why it matters (beyond “faster Wi-Fi”)

• Better video & collaboration. Teams/Zoom are sensitive to latency and jitter. A practical target is ≤150 ms end-to-end latency; MLO and wider lanes help keep you under that when floors get busy. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Higher client density. With more spectrum in 6 GHz and smarter scheduling, Wi-Fi 7 handles crowded offices/classrooms more gracefully than Wi-Fi 5/6. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• Future-proofing for multi-gig WAN. If you’ve moved to fiber or 2.5/5 GbE access, Wi-Fi 7 lets the LAN keep pace—especially with APs that offer multigig uplinks and power budgets sized for Wi-Fi 7 radios. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
• Upgrade without forklift. AP vendors offer Wi-Fi 7 models that slot into existing cloud controllers (Meraki Dashboard, Aruba Central, UniFi OS), so you can stage upgrades by area. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

First 48 hours: the upgrade truth-audit

• 1) Check client reality. Inventory how many devices today are Wi-Fi 6E/7-capable (newer laptops/phones). If most of your fleet is Wi-Fi 5/6, you’ll benefit from capacity, but the “wow” moments come as Wi-Fi 7 clients arrive. (Flagships from major vendors already ship with Wi-Fi 7.) :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
• 2) Map pain zones. Where do video calls stall—conference rooms, open areas? Capture current latency/jitter and retry rates during peak hours.
• 3) Check switching & power. Confirm 2.5/5 GbE uplinks and PoE budgets for new APs; Wi-Fi 7 radios and 6 GHz often want more than 802.3af.
• 4) Channel plan sanity. If you’re in a country with 6 GHz availability, plan 6 GHz cells and keep 5 GHz for legacy density. (Country allowance matters.) :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
• 5) Pick two candidate APs. For SMBs, shortlist one “mainstream” and one “high-density” model (e.g., UniFi U7 Pro/U7 Pro Max; Aruba 730; Meraki CW/CX series) to test in parallel. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

Operational realities (so Teams/Zoom don’t suffer)

• MLO is fantastic—when both sides support it. Early deployments sometimes launch with MLO disabled pending client/firmware maturity; expect feature enablement via updates. Plan pilots that measure with and without MLO. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
• 6 GHz is quiet but attenuates more. You’ll likely add a few APs for 6 GHz coverage in big rooms or dense areas compared to 5 GHz-only designs. Use real surveys (Ekahau/Hamina) to avoid blind spots. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
• Policy matters more than ever. Mark 6 GHz-capable devices into a “fast lane” SSID; keep IoT/legacy clients on 2.4/5 GHz to reduce contention.
• WAN still rules the experience. If your WAN uplink is 300 Mbps with bufferbloat, Wi-Fi 7 won’t fix choppy calls. Measure end-to-end latency against Microsoft/Zoom guidance and tune QoS. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

Evidence leaders want this week

• Before/after collaboration KPIs: average/95th-percentile latency & jitter during peak; call failure rates; throughput by SSID.
• Client mix: % of Wi-Fi 6E/7 devices by department; growth forecast from refresh pipeline.
• Capacity headroom: AP airtime utilization and retries before/after pilot; 6 GHz cell usage.
• Cost curve: AP count deltas; switching/PoE upgrades; 3-year TCO vs. status quo.

7-day plan: pilot, measure, decide

• Day 1: Baseline capture (latency/jitter, retries, density) in two busiest zones; export Teams/Zoom stats from IT dashboards. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
• Day 2: Install two Wi-Fi 7 AP candidates with multigig uplinks; keep legacy APs running nearby for comparison.
• Day 3: Turn up 6 GHz SSID for a small cohort (executive conference rooms + engineering pods). Keep policy simple; enable band-steering to 6 GHz.
• Day 4: If supported, enable MLO for test clients and re-run collaboration tests; log deltas.
• Day 5: Review coverage; add one more AP if 6 GHz RSSI is marginal in corners.
• Day 6: Build the business case: show before/after KPIs, client mix trendline, and cost to expand pilot to a whole floor.
• Day 7: Go/no-go: approve a staged rollout (conference rooms → open areas → remaining floors) or defer and retry when client mix crosses 30% Wi-Fi 6E/7.

AI trend (blurb)

OpenAI–AWS multi-year deal highlights multi-cloud AI economics. The reported $38B, seven-year agreement underscores how fast AI workloads are consolidating on hyperscalers—and why IT teams are adding guardrails for GPU spend, data boundaries, and portability. Expect more vendor due-diligence questions from execs as these mega-deals reshape cost and roadmap assumptions.

FAQ

Sources & citations

1. Wired — What Is Wi-Fi 7? Overview of 320 MHz, 4K-QAM, and MLO (802.11be). :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
2. Cisco — Wi-Fi 7 and the Future of Wireless (enterprise design guide). :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
3. Cisco Meraki — Wi-Fi 7 Technical Guide (4K-QAM specifics; certification notes). :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}
4. HPE Aruba — 730-Series Wi-Fi 7 APs (multigig, UTB filtering, PoE). :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
5. RUCKUS — Wi-Fi 7 platform used by Wi-Fi Alliance test bed. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
6. Ubiquiti UniFi — U7 Pro Max (specs; MLO via software). :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
7. Microsoft Learn — Network readiness for Teams (bandwidth/quality guidance). :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}
8. Zoom Support — Latency guidance (≤150 ms target). :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}
9. OpenAI–AWS deal coverage (AI blurb): The Verge; Reuters.