A recent report by internet testing platform Ookla reveals uneven adoption of WiFi 7 globally. However, the performance of MediaTek, the Hsinchu, Taiwan-based maker of WiFi 7 home gateway and extender chipsets, offers insight into market trends, according to WiFi NOW. Case in point, MediaTek says that Europe is about a year behind North America but is poised for rapid WiFi 7 adoption within a few months.
“Within the home broadband service provider market, we’re experiencing the fastest adoption ever of any new WiFi standard,” says James Chen, MediaTek VP Product & Technology Marketing. “Nearly all Tier 1 as well as Tier 2 broadband service providers have adopted MediaTek WiFi 7 for fiber gateways, 5G FWA [fixed wireless access] CPEs, and home extenders. Interest is strong in Europe and USA – as well as other parts of the world – and deployments will accelerate into 2026 and 2027.”
Chen states that WiFi 7-capable fiber gateways are being introduced, and the market for WiFi 7-capable 5G FWA CPEs is growing rapidly worldwide. Europe’s 5G FWA CPE market is expanding, albeit at a slower rate compared to the U.S., according to Inside Towers Intelligence. MediaTek announced 5G FWA CPE deals with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T) last year.
The Ookla report shows that WiFi 7 adoption in China has been slower than anticipated due to the absence of the 6 GHz spectrum. MediaTek says that internet service providers in regions without 6 GHz will still see benefits from WiFi 7 features, such as a 20 percent increase in peak speed due to 4096 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, although the performance improvements may be less noticeable.
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