Association of IT Enterprises asks govt to create conditions for import of devices supporting WiFi 7 standard
The Association of Information Technology Enterprises of Ukraine has asked the Cabinet of Ministers to develop regulatory documents for the import of network equipment and devices (PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets) into Ukraine that support the WiFi 7 wireless communication standard, new to Ukraine.
"We ask you to instruct the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the fields of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and the provision of postal services, to develop and submit to the Cabinet of Ministers draft regulations to ensure the possibility of import, production and operation of devices that meet the standards Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7," the association said in the letter published on its website on Monday.
It is stated that WiFi 7 technology provides data transfer speeds of about 40 Gbps, which is four times higher than Wi-Fi 6 due to a wider channel bandwidth some 320 MHz and 4096-QAM modulation compared to 160 MHz band and 1024 modulation -QAM when using previous versions of Wi-Fi. In addition, Wi-Fi 7 doubles the bandwidth of networks, so that even when connecting a large number of devices, communication remains stable.
Due to the Multi-Link Operation (MLO) function inherent in the WiFi 7 standard, connections are distributed over three frequency ranges (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz), the association said.
"Already this summer, it is possible to supply devices with the new WiFi 7 standard from manufacturers of network equipment and terminal devices (PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets). However, due to the unresolved issues of harmonization of the radio frequency spectrum, the legal import and operation of such devices in Ukraine will be impossible," the association said, noting that this will limit the country’s economic growth and capabilities in the areas of digitalization and defense capability.
In January 2024, the Wi-Fi Alliance, which certifies devices that support wireless networks, officially introduced a certification program for the next generation wireless standard – Wi-Fi 7, also known as 802.11be. Even earlier, the Wi-Fi 6E standard, also known as 802.11ax, was announced, according to the letter.
