Broadcom has announced the availability of samples for its second-generation wireless connectivity chipset solutions, designed for the Wi-Fi 7 ecosystem.
The first chip, known as the BCM6765, is a highly optimized residential access point chip. It supports 320 MHz 2-stream Wi-Fi operation, enabling the production of cost-effective Wi-Fi 7 access points and smart repeater solutions. This system-on-chip (SoC) platform offers versatility in terms of cost, form factor, and performance.
On the other hand, the BCM47722 is an enterprise access point chip that also supports 320 MHz 2-stream operation. In addition, it features dual IoT radios for simultaneous operation of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols. This SoC addresses the specific requirements of Internet of Things (IoT) applications in the enterprise Wi-Fi market.
Lastly, the BCM4390 is a low-power Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 combo chip designed for mobile devices like handsets and tablets. It supports 160 MHz 2-stream Wi-Fi operation, dual Bluetooth, and Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols, catering to a wide range of mobile markets.
Wi-Fi 7 has been designed specifically for the 6 GHz band and offers high-speed wireless broadband connectivity for homes and devices. Broadcom’s first-generation Wi-Fi 7 products have already made their way into the market, and the second-generation chips announced today further expand the range of products utilizing Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.
The adoption of Wi-Fi 7 is expected to surge due to increased bandwidth and multi-link operation (MLO). MLO enables devices to aggregate channels and seamlessly switch between them, making it ideal for high-density, congested networks. This feature guarantees commercial-grade quality of service and optimized application latency.
Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 7 ecosystem supports 3-link MLO, reducing latency by 50 percent compared to typical 2-link implementations. Additionally, Broadcom Wi-Fi 7 incorporates the proprietary SpeedBooster feature, which allows 160 MHz devices, like those based on the BCM4390, to utilize the full 320 MHz capacity of access points, effectively doubling Wi-Fi connection speed.
Furthermore, Wi-Fi 7 employs Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) to optimize spectrum allocation, enabling high-power access points and extending the 6 GHz transmit range in indoor and outdoor environments. Overall, Broadcom Wi-Fi 7 delivers fast, high-quality video streaming, responsive gaming, and improved performance for applications requiring reliable speeds in congested environments.
In terms of Bluetooth capabilities, both the BCM47722 and BCM4390 support the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard and are forward-compatible with the draft Bluetooth Channel Sounding specification for location services. This brings a range of new features to mobile handsets, including secure vehicle keyless entry, as well as enterprise access points with support for asset tracking and electronic shelf labels. Additionally, both chips support Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols, facilitating interoperability with the expanding number of residential and enterprise IoT devices.
“With these three new products, Broadcom enables its customers to build a diverse set of best-in-class Wi-Fi 7 products across a wide range of markets,” said Vijay Nagarajan, vice president of marketing for the Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division at Broadcom.
“Device capabilities continue to evolve and expand, and at the same time, new services and applications are arriving that require cloud, edge, and on-device processing,” said Phil Solis, research director for connectivity and smartphone semiconductors at IDC. “Wi-Fi 7 and MLO are rapidly becoming a must in new devices and access points, and Bluetooth LE Audio, Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Zigbee, and Thread round off support for new features and Matter.”
“Wi-Fi 7 revenue for both the Consumer Wi-Fi Infrastructure and Enterprise Access Point markets will exceed that of any other Wi-Fi technology in five years, mostly coming from Wi-Fi systems based on 6 GHz devices,” said Chris DePuy, technology analyst at 650 Group.
“Additionally, IoT device shipments will grow at over 50 percent CAGR in the Enterprise market in the next several years. Therefore, Broadcom’s support for Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other wireless interfaces is critical.”
Broadcom is sampling its second-generation Wi-Fi 7 chips to early access partners and customers in retail, enterprise and smartphone, service provider, and carrier segments.