Qualcomm reveals new chip with WiFi 7 capability

Qualcomm Technologies unveils on February 28 the Wi-Fi 7 capable chip FastConnect 7800 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Regarded as the first in the world with such connectivity innovation, Qualcomm’s latest chip helps deliver the world’s fastest Wi-Fi with peak speeds to 5.8 Gbps. That would be 60 percent faster than previous generations. It also allows “multiple and simultaneous 5GHz and/or 6GHz connections.”

The chip also supports Snapdragon Sound, particularly its S3 and S5 sound platforms, and Bluetooth LE Audio.

“With FastConnect 7800, Qualcomm Technologies reasserts its leadership by defining the future of wireless connectivity. 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,” said Dino Bekis, vice president and general manager of Mobile Compute and Connectivity at Qualcomm Technologies. “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.”

Commercial rollout is expected to be available by the second half of 2022.

WiFi 7, also known by its technical name IEEE 802.11be, aims more efficient use of the wireless spectrum and the reduction of latency. Among the targeted improvements include 320 MHz bandwidth, 4K QAM, and multi-link operations. The amendments are projected to be completed by 2024.