The first step in choosing a Wi-Fi module is to decide which Wi-Fi variant to select. In recent years, the available options have increased substantially, and Wi-Fi should no longer be identified as the wireless home or work reception area connectivity option that it was for previous generations. Certainly, Wi-Fi 5 still provides a cost-effective, widely familiar platform to support basic internet connectivity, smart home applications, and other close-range use cases. However, its technical characteristics have been eclipsed by later variants.

Wi-Fi 6 and 6E offer improved coverage, greater density of devices per node, and lower power consumption than Wi-Fi 5, allowing for dense environments in homes and in industrial settings where large numbers of devices need to be connected. Wi-Fi 6 offers a significant uplift in performance over Wi-Fi 5, delivering theoretical speeds of up to 9.6Gbps and supporting a maximum channel width of 160MHz, utilizing one frequency band per connection.

Wi-Fi 7 raises the game – when to select Wi-Fi 7 modules

Wi-Fi 7 takes a significant further step, adding features such as multi-link operation (MLO) and 320MHz channel bandwidth. Wi-Fi 7 can transmit data across multiple bands, such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, at the same time, and, with capacity doubled over Wi-Fi 6, it can allow significantly more data to flow. Those capabilities are a game-changer for Wi-Fi because they enable support for ultra-low latency, high-speed apps such as augmented and virtual reality, cloud, and edge computing.

In addition, Wi-Fi 7 is increasingly adopted for industrial use cases. Building on the existing market for industrial Wi-Fi 6 networks, Wi-Fi 7 enables lower latency support for robots, automated guided vehicles, and industrial machines. With AI-enabled industrial use cases starting to gain traction, connected intelligence on the factory floor demands on robust, secure, high-performance networks, and Wi-Fi 7 can address the needs of equipment such as color sorters, safety cameras, and smart factory platforms, plus rich media such as video.

Wi-Fi’s polished HaLow

The innovation cycle doesn’t end with Wi-Fi 7. Wi-Fi HaLow has also been introduced, offering ranges of more than a kilometer, enabling campuses, smart cities, and other large sites, such as ports and factory complexes to be covered. This technology combines low power consumption with strong signal penetration and high security in addition to the extended range. HaLow’s narrow channels make the technology especially well-suited to providing reliable indoor coverage, and there are numerous smart home use cases that it is ideal for. These include security systems, thermostats, and smart appliances.

With better penetration than standard Wi-Fi variants outdoors through trees, foliage, and concrete, HaLow can be used for safety cameras and other outdoor use cases, such as agricultural sensors, car parking site monitoring, and for multi-dwelling units. Offering up to 78Mbps capacity over short distances, 150Kbps is achievable at up to 1km, and Quectel has found in its own testing in an open area that performance of 540Kbps at a distance of 2km with 4MHz bandwidth is possible. At 1km distance under the same conditions, a data rate of around 2.65Mbps can be achieved.

As with all module selections, it’s important to strike the right balance between cost, performance, range, and features. As a global provider of IoT solutions, Quectel has a comprehensive portfolio of Wi-Fi 6, 6E, 7 and HaLow modules, many of which offer Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy capability in addition to Wi-Fi. This can significantly increase applicability for combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. Quectel also offers combined cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth modules, such as the Quectel SC200, to maximize versatility for developers.

Ultimately, developers can select from modules that offer all current Wi-Fi variants to achieve the perfect fit for their device and use case. By doing so, they can fine tune their device performance, build in versatility for the future, and ensure AI-enabled opportunities can be exploited fully. With Quectel’s antenna, services and manufacturing expertise, developers can ensure smooth integration of components and accelerate their time to market with confidence in the security, compliance, and robustness of their solution.