Huawei leads Wi-Fi 7 rollout with campus solution

With the launch of Wi-Fi 7, the next generation of campus internet is here, delivering speeds twice as fast as anything organizations have seen before.

Huawei, the leading contributor to Wi-Fi 7's global standards, has now packaged its award-winning wireless technology into a simple solution for universities, hospitals and businesses alike.

The company's Wi-Fi 7 campus solution, showcased at Dubai's GITEX tech show last month, simplifies the connection of thousands of devices — from security cameras to student laptops — while operating faster and more securely than previous networks.

"The most notable improvement lies in network speed and reduced latency," said Shawn Zhao, president of the Campus Network Domain at Huawei's Data Communication Product Line. "With 6GHz radios and double the bandwidth, our Wi-Fi 7 devices achieve twice the data rate of previous standards."

This speed boost is made possible by a clever new feature called Multi-Link Operation (MLO). Simply put, MLO allows devices to use multiple Wi-Fi connections simultaneously. While previous systems were limited to one frequency band at a time — like sending all packages through a single delivery route — MLO operates like a smart delivery system, sending data through multiple routes at once.

"MLO enables a terminal to transmit and receive data simultaneously over multiple links," Zhao explained. "This enhances both throughput and reliability, with MLO being exclusive to Wi-Fi 7."

Security has been beefed up too. The system includes an innovative feature called Wi-Fi Shield that creates a protective barrier around wireless networks. Unlike traditional encryption methods, the system makes network signals essentially invisible to unauthorized users.

"Wi-Fi Shield protects against potential eavesdropping by using noise interference from access points to block unauthorized access, ensuring that only authorized users can access valid information," Zhao noted. "That greatly improves security."

The system is also designed to manage the surging volume of smart devices, projected to hit 18.8 billion this year. Huawei's main access point, the AirEngine 6776-58TI, is what the company calls a "hyper-converged" device, meaning it can speak multiple IoT languages at once. "This access point supports Wi-Fi along with multiple IoT protocols, including BLE, RFID, and Zigbee," Zhao said.

The AirEngine is built to be future-proof, featuring USB and PCIe expansion slots that allow for easy addition of new connection types as they emerge. Its built-in IoT chips can receive firmware updates to support future protocols, enabling the system to adapt to new technologies without requiring hardware replacement.

The system also saves energy. It uses AI to analyze periods of low internet usage and automatically powers down unnecessary equipment, similar to how modern buildings turn off lights in empty rooms.

"The unique AI-driven tidal energy-saving feature helps enterprises reduce energy consumption through intelligent data analysis," Zhao explained. "Access points collect and transmit data to the network control platform, where historical data is analyzed to predict and recommend optimal shutdown strategies."

Huawei also plans to implement integrated sensing and communication technology based on Channel State Information (CSI). Built into the access points, this technology can sense if people are in a room, which is particularly helpful in meeting spaces. If no one is present, the lighting and temperature systems can automatically shut down.

"This advanced technology offers a secure approach for improving energy efficiency and supporting carbon reduction efforts," Zhao said.

In addition to saving energy, Huawei's solution also saves time for network teams. When problems pop up, the system's brain – called iMaster NCE-Campus – can automatically pinpoint issues and suggest fixes.

"Think of iMaster NCE-Campus as your network's diagnostic system," Zhao said. "When something goes wrong, it shows you exactly which devices are having problems, pinpoints the specific issues, and suggests how to fix them. This means IT teams can solve problems faster and keep the network running at its best."

Analysts predict Wi-Fi 7 adoption will reach 2.1 billion devices by 2028, with campus networks leading the charge, according to the IDC. In keeping with Huawei's commitment to making digital transformation accessible to all businesses, the company's Wi-Fi 7 campus solution has been extensively field-tested worldwide to ensure seamless compatibility with older Wi-Fi equipment."Our Wi-Fi 7 solution is backwards compatible, allowing it to coexist with access points operating on all previous standards," said Zhao. This means organizations can upgrade gradually, using existing Wi-Fi 5 and 6 equipment alongside the new system until they're ready for a full transition.