The three features that matter
320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band deliver up to 46 Gbps theoretical throughput per radio — but only in regions where regulators have released the full 1200 MHz of 6 GHz spectrum. In the EU and much of APAC, only the lower 500 MHz is available today, capping practical channel width at 160 MHz. Design your channel plan for the spectrum you actually have, not the datasheet.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is the genuinely new capability. A client can simultaneously use 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz radios for the same session, aggregating throughput and — more importantly — dramatically reducing latency and packet loss on flaky links. This is the feature that finally makes wireless competitive with wired for latency-sensitive workloads like VoIP, real-time video and AR/VR.
4K-QAM (4096-QAM) increases per-symbol density by 20% over Wi-Fi 6E's 1024-QAM, but only at very high signal-to-noise ratios (>40 dB). In practical enterprise deployments this benefits a small number of clients close to the AP and does not change your AP-count math.
Design implications
Cabling: 320 MHz channels and multiple concurrent radios mean uplink demand per AP can exceed 10 Gbps in peak conditions. Provision 10GBASE-T or SFP+ uplinks and multi-gigabit PoE (802.3bt Type 4, up to 90W) — Wi-Fi 7 APs routinely draw 40-60W.
Site survey: run a fresh predictive survey with a Wi-Fi 7 model. The 6 GHz band has different propagation characteristics (higher attenuation through walls) and existing 5 GHz AP placements will leave 6 GHz coverage gaps. Plan for 15-25% more APs in 6 GHz-heavy designs.
Client mix: MLO only benefits Wi-Fi 7 clients. Until your fleet is majority Wi-Fi 7 (realistically 2027-2028), size for a mixed environment and enable band steering aggressively.
Key takeaways
- Multi-Link Operation is the killer feature — plan the design around it, not around peak throughput.
- Provision 10 Gbps uplinks and 90W PoE for new APs.
- Regulatory 6 GHz allocation caps real-world channel width; design for your region.
- Refresh site surveys with a Wi-Fi 7 model — 6 GHz coverage does not equal 5 GHz coverage.
