News

Wi-Fi 7, The Next Generation Of Wireless Internet, Is Here

The Wi-Fi Alliance is now certifying Wi-Fi 7 devices to ensure they meet the new standard and are compatible with one another.

Published

3 years ago

January 10, 2024

Nour Nasir

wi-fi 7 the next generation of wireless internet is here

The Wi-Fi Alliance is now officially certifying products that support Wi-Fi 7, the next generation of wireless internet. With certification, we should soon start to see new products such as smartphones, laptops, and routers using the Wi-Fi 7 standard, which will likely mean huge speed and efficiency gains.

Although Wi-Fi 7 Routers have already been released by companies like Netgear, TP-Link, and Eero, the products still need to be officially certified. That doesn’t mean they won’t work with Wi-Fi 7, but it does mean that some companies can’t officially guarantee compatibility for their devices just yet.

wi-fi 7 features

Wi-Fi 7 devices offer up to double the bandwidth of those using earlier standards, meaning the potential for wireless download speeds of two gigabits per second and theoretical local network speeds of up to 46 gigabits per second (though real-world peaks of 5-6 Gbps are more probable).

The technology also features Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which bonds connections spread across two or three of the 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, giving extra speed and stability and allowing users to move more seamlessly between wireless access points.

Also Read: The Top 3 VPN Services For Android

In addition, Wi-Fi 7 may also unlock the use of additional bands between the 1Ghz and 7GHz+ range, but that will depend on local legislation and availability.

Wi-Fi 7 devices are backward-compatible with previous versions, though those older devices won’t benefit from new Wi-Fi 7 features or see a speed increase. However, if you’re a tech enthusiast or early adopter, a new Wi-Fi 7 router would be a fantastic upgrade to future-proof your home internet setup.

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.