By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
Zyxel Networks launches six new Wi-Fi 7 AP models for SMEs
Last week Zyxel Networks launched six new Wi-Fi 7 APs, each aimed at specific SME use cases – and each remarkably affordable. The NWA90BE PRO, NWA50BE PRO, NWA90BE, NWA50BE, NWA55BE and NWA30BE span SME connectivity needs from desktop to wall mount to outdoor, ranging in price (in the US) from around US$80 to US$100. The new APs are powered by Qualcomm Wi-Fi chips.
Features include SSID VLAN tagging (for assigning different SSID names to guests, staff, etc.) and ‘smart mesh MLO’, which Zyxel says is a combination of MLO with mesh networking creating a dual-radio mesh backhaul that boosts Wi-Fi throughput by up to 40%. Zyxel Networks was one of the first enterprise Wi-Fi vendors to launch Wi-Fi 7 APs and the company’s portfolio now incudes 13 models. For more details read here.
Plume joins RDK as ‘preferred plus’ member
As a testament to Plume’s recent change in technology strategy, the company last week announced that it has joined open source broadband platform community RDK as a ‘preferred plus’ member. This means Plume will contribute code to the RDK-B broadband platform as well as technical expertise based on its work with hundreds of ISPs and data from 500 million connected devices, Plume said in statement here.
“Plume’s membership comes at a pivotal time for the company as it shifts to a more open and collaborative strategy with its ISP customers and a focus on delivering a best-in-class Wi-Fi experience for subscribers,” Plume says. RDK is an open source platform standardising core functions for connected homes and used in broadband CPEs. RDK has been deployed into more than 200 million CPEs globally.
The new Xiaomi YU7 EV boasts on-board Wi-Fi 7 as a world first
Automotive has always been an enticing new frontier for Wi-Fi services – and now Xiaomi is introducing the world’s first Wi-Fi 7-enabled EV. The Xiaomi YU7 – a luxury SUV EV released earlier this year – now includes dual-band on-board Wi-Fi 7.
“The upgraded Xiaomi EEA [Electric/Electronic Architecture] brings advanced communication technologies on board. Xiaomi YU7 features an industry-leading dual 5G parallel communication network, a new UWB key, and first-to-launch Wi-Fi 7,” the company says here.
Indoor standard power 6 GHz Wi-Fi at Honda Center, Anaheim, California
There are not a lot of live indoor (or outdoor) standard power 6 GHz venues – but here’s one that shows the power of the full 6 GHz band: Honda Center in Anaheim. The 18,000 seat indoor arena has been kitted out with close to 400 standard power Wi-Fi 6E APs from Extreme Networks (using AFC services from the Wi-Fi Alliance). Broadcom’s Chris Szymanski has written an excellent blog about the connectivity experience at Honda Arena, read it here. The facility delivers a solid couple of hundred Mbps in both directions, Chris Szymanski reports. Extreme Networks APs are powered by Broadcom Wi-Fi chips.
/Claus.
