Time-Sensitive Networking in IEEE 802.11be: On the Way to Low-Latency WiFi 7

Abstract

A short time after the official launch of WiFi 6, IEEE 802.11 working groups along with the WiFi Alliance are already designing its successor in the wireless local area network (WLAN) ecosystem: WiFi 7. With the IEEE 802.11be amendment as one of its main constituent parts, future WiFi 7 aims to include time-sensitive networking (TSN) capabilities to support low latency and ultra-reliability in license-exempt spectrum bands, enabling many new Internet of Things scenarios. This article first introduces the key features of IEEE 802.11be, which are then used as the basis to discuss how TSN functionalities could be implemented in WiFi 7. Finally, the benefits and requirements of the most representative Internet of Things low-latency use cases for WiFi 7 are reviewed: multimedia, healthcare, industrial, and transport.

Keywords

• IEEE 802.11be
• low-latency communications
• time-sensitive networking (TSN)
• WiFi 7