By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
MediaTek brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to new AI laptop platform
MediaTek has introduced the Dimensity CX C10 Max, a new 3 nm computing platform designed for premium AI-oriented laptops while featuring integrated Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity. The eight-core platform combines Arm Cortex-X925, Cortex-X4, and Cortex-A720 CPU cores with an 11-core GPU and MediaTek’s NPU 890, delivering up to 55 TOPS of AI processing capability. Published specifications list Wi-Fi 7 speeds of up to 7.3 Gbps, alongside dual-engine Bluetooth 6.0.
The new chip is important because it extends the company’s connectivity and computing ambitions beyond smartphones and Chromebooks into a new generation of AI-focused PCs. The platform is designed for thin, lightweight, fanless systems with strong local AI processing and all-day battery life. Wi-Fi 7 is increasingly becoming a baseline capability across high-performance client platforms, while Bluetooth 6 adds the latest generation of short-range connectivity alongside it. Read more here.
DNA Finland goes live with full-prpl Wi-Fi 7 gateway from Zyxel
Service provider DNA Finland and Zyxel Communications have taken a full-stack prplWare Wi Fi 7 gateway into commercial service, with the deployment live since May. DNA, part of Telenor Group, is using Zyxel’s EE3110 BE5000 dual-band and EE4600 BE19000 tri-band Wi-Fi 7 gateways, based on MediaTek Filogic 7800 and 7600 platforms.
The deployment is significant as a commercial example of full-stack prplWare running on Wi-Fi 7 gateways in a live service-provider network. This is not the first operational deployment of prpl – but the DNA launch adds an important Wi-Fi 7 reference to a growing base of operator implementations. Also read more about prpl in the WiFi NOW Resource Centre here.
DNA says Zyxel’s involvement in prplMesh also strengthens interoperability and open-source development. For the broader broadband industry, the deployment provides an important real-world reference for operators considering open, software-defined Wi-Fi 7 gateways and a more flexible service-delivery platform. Read more here.
SPARK Microsystems powers LEWITT’s first wireless studio headphones
Canadian UWB silicon specialist SPARK Microsystems has entered the professional audio market by supplying the wireless technology for LEWITT’s new LW6 wireless studio headphones. The product uses SPARK’s LE-UWB technology to provide the high-throughput and ultra-low-latency connectivity required for recording, monitoring, mixing, and other professional audio applications. SPARK Microsystems
The launch is a milestone because it expands UWB beyond its better-known roles in precision ranging and location. SPARK is positioning low-energy UWB as a high-performance data transport technology, potentially competing with Bluetooth and proprietary wireless links in applications where latency and predictable performance matter.
LEWITT’s LW6 is the first commercially available professional-audio product based on SPARK’s technology. Independent product information published alongside the launch specifies uncompressed wireless audio and latency below 6 milliseconds. The broader opportunity could include headphones, gaming peripherals, wearables, and other applications requiring low power combined with deterministic, low-latency wireless connectivity. Read more here.
Ubee Wi-Fi 7 gateway gains full Plume and OpenSync certification
Ubee Interactive’s EG700 tri-band Wi-Fi 7 gateway has achieved full certification for OpenSync 6.6 and across Plume’s HomePass, WorkPass, and Uprise service portfolios. The certification means service providers can now deploy the EG700 either as a gateway or extender while retaining Plume’s Cloud-based adaptive Wi-Fi, security, and smart-home management capabilities. The device is built around MediaTek’s Filogic 880 platform and includes 4×4 radios across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, a 10 GbE WAN port, and a 10 GbE LAN port. Read more here.
The announcement is a good example of Wi-Fi hardware increasingly decoupling from service-management platforms. Operators can select CPE from different manufacturers while maintaining a common OpenSync software environment and subscriber experience. Ubee says the EG700 is its first Wi-Fi 7 gateway to receive full Plume/OpenSync certification and is available now for service-provider evaluation. The company already has a DOCSIS gateway certified within the same ecosystem.
FCC gives operators hardware relief under new router security rules
The FCC has partially granted a petition from USTelecom allowing service providers, suppliers, and manufacturers to make certain hardware changes to previously authorised routers and broadband gateways that are now subject to the FCC’s Covered List restrictions. The waiver applies for one year and permits targeted Class I and Class II permissive changes.
The FCC’s newer security and supply-chain rules can otherwise prevent routine modifications to affected equipment after authorisation. The relief is intended to allow necessary component substitutions and lifecycle changes without requiring operators to replace otherwise usable CPE.
But the waiver is limited: It does not create a route for adding new radios, frequency bands, models, or major performance improvements. However, it demonstrates that the FCC is already having to adapt its rules to the practical realities of broadband gateway supply chains. For Wi-Fi vendors and operators, security regulation is in this way becoming a second layer of product lifecycle management alongside conventional RF certification, with direct consequences for sourcing, upgrades, and CPE availability.
/Claus.
