News

NETGEAR’s Orbi 970 Routers Offer Powerful Wi-Fi 7 Connectivity

The company’s popular mesh system has received a significant performance boost, offering 10,000 square feet of coverage and speeds of 27 Gbps.

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2024

Joanna Melki

NETGEAR

In an era of increasing internet connectivity and the rise of bandwidth-sucking applications such as 4K streaming and online gaming; faster Wi-Fi speeds, reduced latency, and enhanced capacity are becoming paramount.

Good news then, as NETGEAR has recently revamped its renowned Orbi 970 Mesh Wi-Fi router series to deliver unparalleled Wi-Fi 7 performance, boasting speeds of up to 27 Gbps, alongside a fresh, sleek new design. The inclusion of 12 high-performance, 360-degree Quad-Band antennas extends coverage up to a sizable 10,000 square feet from a 3-pack of Orbis. In addition, the mesh network can accommodate the simultaneous connection of up to 200 devices, with a Smart Connect feature selecting the optimal Wi-Fi band for each.

In terms of wired connections, the router is equipped with a 10 Gig internet port, along with one 10 Gig and four 2.5 Gig Ethernet ports, enabling some of the highest network speeds currently available.

netgear orbi 970 wi-fi 7 routers

In addition to the design and performance overhaul, the Orbi package also includes one year of NETGEAR Armor, Powered by Bitdefender 2, adding an automatic layer of security for all connected devices. Unlike conventional antivirus software products, NETGEAR Armor is integrated into the router as a comprehensive security solution, monitoring internet traffic and safeguarding computers, security cameras, baby monitors, and other IoT devices while alerting users to external threats and suspicious outbound activities.

Also Read: Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide

Finally, the upgraded Orbi 970 Series incorporates NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls, offering easy management of children’s online time across their connected devices and helping to foster healthy online habits for the entire family. Basic functionalities are free, but a subscription fee follows a 30-day trial period for access to the Premium Plan.

NETGEAR’s Orbi products are available in stores now, or directly from their official website.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.