Extreme Networks has unveiled Wi-Fi 7 access points (APs) to deliver “fast, secure connectivity” for critical use cases including real-time artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, AR/VR experiences, smart manufacturing, telehealth and high-density venues.
Extreme said it offers “the industry’s most complete” deployment-ready Wi-Fi 7 portfolio, delivering APs that it adds combine “optimised performance with practical efficiency”. They see use in a variety of environments, including hospitals, stadiums, cost-effective deployments in schools, retail and hospitality, real-time applications and “next-generation digital experiences”.
Global end users of Extreme’s Wi-Fi 7 solutions include Baylor University, Henry Ford Health, Six Flags, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and multiple teams within the NFL.
The products comprise the AP5060 series outdoor and AP5022 series indoor APs. They aim to deliver “premium” performance with three 4×4 radios, a dedicated tri-band security sensor, and integrated internet of things (IoT) radios to support growing device demands.
The AP5060 is engineered for harsh environments, combining a ruggedised design with the durability and resilience needed to deliver reliable, long-term connectivity in demanding settings such as hospitals, industrial facilities and stadiums.
Both series support flexible tri-band operation on standard PoE+ (802.3at), allowing customers to deploy broadly while choosing the balance of radio performance, scanning and functionality for each environment.
The AP3020 series indoor and AP3060 weatherised outdoor series deliver full-feature Wi-Fi 7 with 2×2 radio designs optimised for space and power-constrained environments such as schools, retail and hospitality.
With a low-profile wall plate designed to balance aesthetics and functionality, the AP3020W is described as a natural fit for hospitality, education and multi-dwelling environments. The AP3020X includes support for external antennas, enabling more flexible designs for environments that benefit from directional Wi-Fi like high-density venues. The AP3060 is IP67-rated and offers a compact design with an extended temperature range, built to withstand harsh conditions from high winds to sub-zero temperatures.
The products are managed through the Extreme Platform ONE system and offer support for both low and standard power 6 GHz enables customers to benefit from Wi-Fi 7 performance gains without switch or power upgrades, delivering built-in compliance for global regulations.
Siân Morgan, research director at analyst Dell’Oro Group, said: “Wi-Fi 7 adoption is accelerating as organisations scale IoT and real-time AI workloads. Extreme’s cloud-managed Wi-Fi 7 solutions combine high-performance hardware with intelligent management to simplify operations and keep networks ready for what’s next.”
David Coleman, director of wireless in the office of the CTO at Extreme Networks, added: “These Wi-Fi 7 solutions will help customers to meet demands with stronger performance for modern AI-driven environments, improved power efficiency, and simpler deployment and operations at scale.”
Recently, Extreme has been upgrading sports arena communications, replacing legacy Wi-Fi 5 with a full Wi-Fi 7 upgrade – at arenas such as that of Carolina Hurricanes at the Lenovo Centre – to deliver faster, more reliable connectivity throughout arenas and improve fan experiences.
In its most recent deployment, the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, commonly known as The Swamp, will see the installation of the first Wi‑Fi 7 network in a collegiate stadium. Extreme claimed that with Wi‑Fi 7, The Swamp will be setting a new bar for what a packed venue can deliver, ushering in a new era of fan connectivity.
The Wi‑Fi 7 network should enable “seamless” 4K/8K video streaming, instant social sharing and real-time stats access. The infrastructure is stated to have the required low latency for responsive mobile experiences, including in-seat ordering and interactive apps. Extreme said that its network supports improved device capacity, supporting tens of thousands of concurrent connections without performance degradation, with consistent coverage across seating bowls, concourses, suites and outdoor areas.
The installation will complement the University of Florida’s planned stadium renovation, designed to modernise the facility with wider concourses, improved entrances and exits, new premium seating options, enhanced concessions, and upgraded scoreboard and sound systems.
“On game day, The Swamp transforms into one of the most electrifying and densely connected environments in college sports,” said Matt Vincent, assistant athletics director, information technology at the University of Florida. “As we continue to invest in the fan experience at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, adding Wi-Fi 7 allows us to significantly increase capacity while enabling smarter, real-time connectivity that helps everything run smoothly at peak demand.
“The network-infrastructure-as-a-service (NIaaS) model from Extreme Networks also provides the flexibility to scale as needed without significant upfront investment, allowing our IT team to operate more efficiently while delivering a consistently high-quality digital experience for every fan.”
The Wi-Fi battle in Europe
Yet even as it was rolling out the Wi-Fi product line, Extreme expressed concern that the roll-out of Wi-Fi 7 products outside of the US could be stymied through issues regarding the allocation of the upper band of 6 GHz spectrum. In Europe, there has been a battle between Wi-Fi operators and telcos over the ownership of the upper 6 GHz band of the coveted frequency range.
The telcos argue that enabling this band for mobile use will ensure consumers and businesses receive even faster and more reliable 5G services over the next five to 10 years, while avoiding a mobile capacity crunch caused by soaring demand for bandwidth as more devices and services, such as augmented reality headsets, health sensors and vehicles, are connected to mobile networks that require greater processing power and capacity.
For their part, the Wi-Fi providers warn that without additional Wi-Fi spectrum, European businesses will be less globally competitive due to higher wireless connectivity costs and less access to new technologies. Advocates say Wi-Fi in the upper 6 GHz band will deliver high-speed, ultra-low latency, low-cost, high-speed connectivity that will enable innovations in industry, including automated manufacturing, smart logistics and industrial IoT.
Explaining the issue at hand through the evolution of wireless comm standards, Coleman told Computer Weekly that the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E – the first Wi-Fi generation to introduce 6 Hz comms – was not a new but a spectrum paradigm shift. This spectrum has been available in the US for around five years and has been a “big game changer” in terms of the future of applications on the back of the 6 GHz spectrum and that, in terms of potential, Wi-Fi 7 is “bringing that home”.
However, despite the company’s success in fitting out stadia such as the Lenovo Centr and The Swamp, Coleman revealed that the biggest challenge for Extreme in deciding what to build in outdoor developments, especially in stadiums, was the regulatory rules regarding 6 GHz.
“That has been very challenging,” he said. “There are different rules for indoors and outdoors, and there are different rules for weatherised devices. Even though it’s been five years, the rules are still changing. So, we have daily conversations. It’s settled in solid here in the US, but regulatory [conditions] in the rest of the world for 6 GHz is still a work in progress.
“The biggest problem with Europe … is [regulators are] behind the US. This is because there’s only 500 MHz of the frequency space. We have 1,200 [in the US] for 6 GHz. [Europe] still doesn’t have standard power or outdoor [standards]. So, we need spectrum harmonisation.
“Why should the Americans be the only ones that have 1200 MHz of frequency space? It should be a worldwide thing, [but] that makes it challenging for us on what we build, because sometimes what we build isn’t going to work the same way in a different country.”
