If you’re contemplating a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade, it’s an opportune moment as prices are surprisingly low, according to a recent report from Dell’Oro Group. Siân Morgan, the research director and lead author of the latest quarterly Wireless LAN 5-Year Forecast Report, notes that the introductory pricing for Wi-Fi 7 was established at levels lower than those for earlier Wi-Fi 6 or 6E technologies and has remained comparably low over the past ten quarters.
Several reasons contribute to this unusually low pricing. Firstly, the global launch of Wi-Fi 7 occurred outside of the U.S., leading to price reductions influenced by early shipments from Chinese vendors like Huawei and H3C, who capitalized on markets in regions such as the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. By the time North American vendors began shipping Wi-Fi 7, they were compelled to adopt competitive pricing strategies, including industry leaders like Cisco, which launched their Wi-Fi 7 products at prices similar to older technologies.
Moreover, many Wi-Fi 7 access points feature only two radios compared to the usual three in Wi-Fi 6 devices, covering 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands. This reduced complexity allows manufacturers to offer more entry-level Wi-Fi 7 models, consequently lowering the average price across the spectrum of new products.
However, potential buyers should act quickly, as Morgan warns that prices in the broader wireless LAN market are set to increase due to unstable supply chains, particularly with memory chip availability affecting various hardware prices. Some vendors have already adjusted their list prices upwards, and this trend is expected to continue over the coming year.
Lead times for products are also erratic, complicating the purchasing process for channel partners, who now frequently shorten the validity of price quotes in light of these fluctuations.
In addition to financial considerations, upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 holds significant technical advantages. The introduction of multi-link operation (MLO) allows devices to utilize multiple frequency bands simultaneously to alleviate congestion and enhance reliability. This capability is particularly beneficial for businesses since the new 6 GHz band, part of Wi-Fi 6E and now Wi-Fi 7, is less congested than its predecessors, leading to improved connection quality.
Lastly, the integration of AI operational features (AIOps) in Wi-Fi 7 equipment promises to streamline network management and reduce operational costs, making investments in this technology potentially more valuable as 2026 progresses.
For more information on Wi-Fi technologies, refer to relevant articles on Wi-Fi and Networking.
