AT&T, RUCKUS Networks and Intel’s testing show multi-link operation with commercial devices improve uplink performance – under interference – by up to 116%
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has issued a Phase 2 Wi-Fi 7 MLO Enterprise Field Trials Report. The trials evaluated Wi-Fi 7 multi-link operation (MLO) using enhanced multi-link single radio (eMLSR) with commercial-grade access points and client devices. They focused on the outcomes that matter most for enterprise networks – more predictable performance under congestion and interference.
The trials were conducted with AT&T, RUCKUS Networks and Intel in live enterprise office environments and included multiple, simultaneous Wi-Fi 7 clients, co-channel interference on the 6GHz band and mixed traffic loads, including throughput and real-time transport protocol (RTP) flows.
Results showed major gains in throughput and responsiveness, including improvement of up to 116% in uplink, while subjected to interference. Also, the trail found up to 66% lower latency for real-time uplink traffic.
In addition, the throughput of downlink improved by up to 75% under co-channel interference and one-way latency was cut by up to 44% on the downlink for real-time traffic. In clean spectrum conditions, testing also showed up to 42% downlink and 139% uplink throughput improvement.
Enterprise benefits
Collectively, the trials found that MLO using eMLSR addresses critical enterprise challenges by improving reliability through dynamic band switching which also reduces latency for real-time applications.
eMLSR allows a device to listen on multiple bands concurrently (with separate receive chains) and dynamically switch all chains to whichever band is optimal at a given moment. In practice, this means an eMLSR client can rapidly alternate between links, but still only transmits or receives data on one band at any given time.
Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said, “Enterprise Wi-Fi has become the foundation for cloud, collaboration and real-time operations, so performance is measured in consistency and responsiveness, not just peak speed.
“These trials show that MLO is a step change in reliability, helping networks stay stable when conditions get challenging and demand spikes. For IT teams, that means fewer performance cliffs, smoother experiences for latency-sensitive applications and better use of available spectrum. By validating Wi-Fi 7 with commercial equipment in a live enterprise environment, WBA is giving the industry the real-world evidence it needs to accelerate adoption and deliver seamless interoperable Wi-Fi at scale.”
The full report is free to download by registering here.
