--- title: Wi-Fi 6 Afraid of 7? description: Drawing upon his vast expertise in the Wi-Fi space, Tiago Rodrigues joins the podcast to outline the key issues in the wireless LAN. image: https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2024/Blog%20Assets/AdobeStock_230291089-1.jpeg --- [![TG\_LOGO](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/TeleGeography%20Hub%20Theme%20Nov%202025/images/TG_LOGO.svg)](https://www2.telegeography.com/) - [About](https://www2.telegeography.com/about-us) - [Research](https://www2.telegeography.com/our-research) - [Products](https://www2.telegeography.com/products) - [Solutions](https://www2.telegeography.com/solutions) - [Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) [Log In](https://www.telegeography.com/login/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegeography.com%2Faccount%2Fhome%2Findex) [Contact](https://www2.telegeography.com/contact-us) ###### Data and Analysis Tools - [Cloud and WAN Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/cloud-and-wan-infrastructure) - [Data Center Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/data-center-research-service) - [GlobalComms Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/globalcomms-database-service) - [International Voice Report](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-report-and-database) - [IP Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/ip-networks-research-service) - [ISP Navigator](https://www2.telegeography.com/isp-navigatorisp-navigator) - [Transport Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/transport-networks) - [Network Pricing Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-pricing-database) - [WAN Cost Benchmark](https://www2.telegeography.com/wan-cost-benchmark) - [Product Passes](https://www2.telegeography.com/product-passes) ###### Consulting - [All Consulting Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/consulting) - [Submarine Cable Consulting](https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-consulting) ###### Maps - [All Map Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/map-services) - [Sponsor a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/sponsor-a-map) - [License Map Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/license-geocoded-map-data) - [Cite a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/cite-telegeography-map) - [Buy a Map](https://shop.telegeography.com/collections/telecom-maps/) ###### Industry - [Education](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-for-education) - [Enterprise](https://www2.telegeography.com/enterprise) - [Tech](https://www2.telegeography.com/tech) - [Telecom](https://www2.telegeography.com/telecom) ###### Case Studies - [AI + Retail Telecom Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/where-to-get-global-telecom-data) - [EXA Infrastructure](https://www2.telegeography.com/exa-infrastructure-case-study) - [Orange Wholesale](https://www2.telegeography.com/orange-wholesale-case-study) - [The European Commission](https://www2.telegeography.com/the-european-commissions-data-backed-approach-to-international-policy) [Back to Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) # Wi-Fi 6 Afraid of 7? ##### By [Greg Bryan,](https://resources.telegeography.com/author/greg-bryan) Jan 23, 2024 [Networks](https://resources.telegeography.com/tag/networks) [Podcast](https://resources.telegeography.com/tag/podcast) On [*TeleGeography Explains the Internet*](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-explains-the-internet-podcast), we often focus on the long-haul, zeroing in on the network portion of telecoms. Today, with the help of Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO of the [Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA)](https://wballiance.com/), we’re switching things up a bit. Drawing upon his vast expertise in Wi-Fi, Tiago steps into the hot seat to outline the key issues in wireless LAN. This episode considers Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7 developments, OpenRoaming™ that allows seamless connection across different Wi-Fi networks, and Wi-Fi’s role in emerging solutions like NaaS. We also discuss the digital divide and how to best use the limited resource of spectrum to ensure connectivity in our increasingly digital world. Hit the play button below to listen in. #### Key Takeaways ### Rapid Evolution and Expanded Spectrum There's been a rapid evolution in Wi-Fi standards over the last four years, with the introduction of Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7. A major development with is the availability of the 6 GHz spectrum band. This new band provides significantly more capacity, described as a "brand new highway with no cars at all" compared to the previously used bands. This expansion is crucial for improving performance in dense environments like airports, stadiums, shopping malls, or university campuses, and helps prevent Wi-Fi from becoming a bottleneck for high-capacity fiber networks.  ### Digital Transformation Drives Demand The increasing digitalization of society and enterprises is a significant force driving the demand for broadband connectivity, including Wi-Fi. This includes changes in the way enterprises work (AI, robotics, manufacturing), the evolution of the workforce following the pandemic (remote work), education, entertainment, and online shopping. These trends require not just connectivity, but "good connectivity" or "powerful connectivity," leading to a huge demand on both the wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) sides. ### Connectivity Challenges through Innovation Initiatives and technologies are emerging to address connectivity challenges. Open roaming is highlighted as a solution to the problem of easily and securely onboarding devices onto different Wi-Fi networks. It functions like a global federation where devices with a trusted ID can automatically connect securely to any participating network, improving the experience for consumers and enterprises alike. The discussion also touched on the importance of tackling the digital divide, where Wi-Fi's low cost and widespread availability can play a role, and how solutions like open roaming can help those with limited IT skills connect seamlessly. Further, the need for spectrum sharing mechanisms is emphasized to make better use of the limited spectrum resource without interfering with existing services, ensuring that different technologies can coexist. ## Explore Related Content ![Integrating Wireless into the WAN](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2022/Blog%20Assets/woman-g4d75c1ae1_1280.jpg) ###### Podcast Episode Feb 15, 2022 #### [Integrating Wireless into the WAN](https://resources.telegeography.com/integrating-wireless-into-the-wan) [Read Full Article](https://resources.telegeography.com/integrating-wireless-into-the-wan) ![Wireless Broadband in WAN](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2021/Blog%20Assets/pexels-picjumbocom-196667.jpg) ###### Blog Jan 3, 2022 #### [Wireless Broadband in WAN](https://resources.telegeography.com/wireless-broadband-in-wan) Business broadband is no longer a connection of last resort. In fact, it is an integral part of WAN... [View More by Nataliya Coll](https://resources.telegeography.com/author/nataliya-coll) [Read Full Article](https://resources.telegeography.com/wireless-broadband-in-wan) ![What is the Internet?](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2024/Blog%20Assets/AdobeStock_188454354-1.jpeg) ###### Podcast Episode Feb 8, 2024 #### [What is the Internet?](https://resources.telegeography.com/what-is-the-internet) [Read Full Article](https://resources.telegeography.com/what-is-the-internet) [![TG\_LOGO\_color\_horizontal\_SIMPLIFIED 1](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/TeleGeography%20Hub%20Theme%20Nov%202025/images/TG_LOGO_color_horizontal_SIMPLIFIED%201.svg)](https://www2.telegeography.com/) [Login](https://www.telegeography.com/login/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegeography.com%2Faccount%2Fhome%2Findex) [Contact Us](https://www2.telegeography.com/contact-us) ###### [About](https://www2.telegeography.com/about-us) - [Research](https://www2.telegeography.com/our-research) - [Products](https://www2.telegeography.com/products) - [Solutions](https://www2.telegeography.com/solutions) - [Demo](https://www2.telegeography.com/demo) ###### [Press](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-press) - [Events](https://www2.telegeography.com/telecom-events) - [Careers](https://www2.telegeography.com/careers) ###### [Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com/) - [Podcast](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-explains-the-internet-podcast) - [Newsletter](https://www2.telegeography.com/subscribe-to-telegeography-emails) - - All Rights Reserved 2026 - [Privacy Policy](https://www2.telegeography.com/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Greg Bryan", "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/author/greg-bryan" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-31T13:13:09.493Z", "datePublished" : "2024-01-23T13:15:48.000Z", "headline" : "Wi-Fi 6 Afraid of 7?", "image" : [ "https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2024/Blog%20Assets/AdobeStock_230291089-1.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/wi-fi-6-afraid-of-7", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/assets/telegeography/telegeography-logo-blog.png" }, "name" : "TeleGeography" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org/", "@type" : "WebSite", "image" : "https://www2.telegeography.com/hubfs/Website/assets/logo/telegeography-logo.svg", "name" : "Wi-Fi 6 Afraid of 7?", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : "{search_term_string}" }, "url" : "https://resources.telegeography.com/wi-fi-6-afraid-of-7" } ```