Edgecore, Actiontec Debut Wi-Fi 7 APs for OpenWiFi Deployments

Actiontec, a global industry enabler and supplier of connectivity devices, and Edgecore, an enabler in innovative network solutions for enterprises, data centers, and telecommunication service providers, has announced the first OpenWiFi Wi-Fi 7 Access Points (APs) available for global deployments.

By announcing their concurrent releases of Wi-Fi 7 AP’s for OpenWiFi deployments, Actiontec and Edgecore demonstrate the power of open and disaggregated technology that encourages suppliers and service providers to collaborate on development and integration in Wi-Fi infrastructure.

The new Wi-Fi 7 APs will be a featured discussion point of the panel “Transforming architectures and services with OpenWiFi” on April 24th on the Wi-Fi World Congress North America Main Stage. The APs will also be demonstrated at the TIP OpenWiFi booth in the Expo Hall.

Actiontec’s OpenWiFi Wi-Fi 7 AP, the WF-189, is a 2x2x2 indoor unit. The Edgecore OpenWiFi Wi-Fi 7 AP, the EAP105, is also for indoor use. These Wi-Fi 7 APs will be available for commercial deployments in the second quarter of 2024. Edgecore will also be introducing several new Wi-Fi 7 APs supporting OpenWiFi throughout 2024 that cover a range of specifications and market segments, meeting the deployment needs of customers with a variety of use cases.

“Wi-Fi 7 delivers numerous benefits including higher throughput, lower latency, improved reliability, and reduced power consumption,” said Kevin Robinson, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “Actiontec and Edgecore support for Wi-Fi 7 in APs used in OpenWiFi deployments demonstrates commitment to cutting edge technology that benefits the end-user.”

WiFi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard that supports all three frequency bands – 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz.

Actiontec and Edgecore’s OpenWiFi APs have been deployed across multifamily housing, hospitality venues, student housing and military barracks with managed service providers including Single Digits, Pavlov Media, Boingo Wireless and WorldVue, among others.

Launched in 2021, OpenWiFi is a community-developed open-source platform designed to lower the cost of developing and operating Wi-Fi networks. The platform’s unique approach to Wi-Fi creates an open-source disaggregated technology stack without vendor lock-in, ensuring a cost-effective and seamless way to deploy connectivity. OpenWiFi was created through the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), a global community of companies and organizations driving open and disaggregated infrastructure solutions to advance global connectivity.