Wi-Fi 7 adoption remains limited as Singapore leads uptake

Wi-Fi 7 accounted for 1.8% of global Wi-Fi samples in Q1 2026, according to Ookla Speedtest data from Android devices. The standard has remained at a small share of samples since its commercial arrival in 2023.

Wi-Fi 6 represented 26.7% of samples, while Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 4 accounted for 38.3% and 33.2%, respectively.

Wi-Fi 4 has declined over the past four years, while Wi-Fi 6 has increased its share in more developed markets.

Wi-Fi 5 also continues to hold a large share, particularly in regions where router replacement cycles are slower.

Wi-Fi 7 accounts for less than 2% of global samples

Wi-Fi 7, based on the IEEE 802.11be standard, received certification under the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Certified 7 programme in January 2024. The standard supports 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. It can also use channel widths of up to 320 MHz where spectrum rules allow.

Wi-Fi 7 uses the 6 GHz band where the spectrum is available. Where the full band is available, it can support up to three continuous 320 MHz channels.

Wi-Fi 6E devices can also use the 6 GHz spectrum, but both the router and end-user device must support it. Devices with 6 GHz capability cannot access that band when connected to older access points.

Globally, 5 GHz had the largest share of Wi-Fi samples. Ookla data showed 59.8% of global Wi-Fi users connected through 5 GHz in Q1 2026, up from 49.4% in Q1 2022, while the 2.4 GHz band fell from 50.6% to 38.5%.

The 6 GHz band remains small at a global level, accounting for 1.7% of samples in Q1 2026. Spectrum allocation, router availability, service provider plans, and device support differ by market.

North America leads 6 GHz usage

North America recorded the highest regional use of 6 GHz Wi-Fi. The band accounted for 13.8% of Wi-Fi samples in the region in Q1 2026, compared with 2.2% in Q1 2024.

The United States and Canada have both opened the full 1,200 MHz of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use.

In the United States, 6 GHz represented 13.8% of Wi-Fi usage in Q1 2026. The 5 GHz band accounted for 69.0%, while 2.4 GHz stood at 17.2%. Canada showed a similar pattern, with 13.7% on 6 GHz, 68.5% on 5 GHz, and 17.8% on 2.4 GHz.

Wi-Fi 6 was the dominant Wi-Fi generation in North America, accounting for 57.5% of samples in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 7 represented 6.8%, the highest share among global regions covered in the dataset, while Wi-Fi 4 fell to 10.0%.

Among US providers with at least 3% of samples, CenturyLink had the highest share of Wi-Fi 7 users at 14.7%. AT&T Fiber followed at 10.5%, while Spectrum recorded 6.6%.

Europe records lower 6 GHz use

Europe recorded lower use of the 6 GHz band than North America. The band accounted for 1.6% of total Wi-Fi samples in Europe in Q1 2026, while the European Union average stood at 1.5%.

The European Commission required member states to make the lower 6 GHz band, specifically 5945–6425 MHz, available for wireless access systems and radio local area networks. The upper 6 GHz band remains under discussion between mobile and Wi-Fi industry interests.

France recorded the highest 6 GHz usage in Europe at 8.6% in Q1 2026. Norway followed at 6.5%. Germany recorded 1.1%, while Italy stood at 0.4%.

Wi-Fi 5 remained the largest Wi-Fi generation in Europe, with a 37.1% share in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 6 rose from 6.1% in Q1 2022 to 35.2% in Q1 2026, while Wi-Fi 4 declined from 46.8% to 25.3%. Wi-Fi 7 accounted for 2.5%.

Singapore records the highest Wi-Fi 7 share

Asia-Pacific recorded a 0.5% 6 GHz share in Q1 2026. Across the region, usage was split more evenly between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz than in North America or Europe.

Singapore had the highest share of Wi-Fi 7 users globally at 25.1%. The report links this to Singapore’s broadband upgrade push and telco bundling of Wi-Fi 7 routers with 10 Gbps plans.

In Singapore, 13.3% of Wi-Fi usage was on the 6 GHz band in Q1 2026, while 70.8% was on 5 GHz. Hong Kong followed with 5.0% 6 GHz usage. Japan recorded 4.2%, and Australia stood at 3.6%.

China recorded a 7.5% share of Wi-Fi 7 samples. The country has allocated the full 6 GHz band for mobile use rather than Wi-Fi, and the report attributes its Wi-Fi 7 share to dual-band routers that operate on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz only.

In Asia-Pacific overall, Wi-Fi 4 still accounted for 40.4% of samples in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 5 represented 39.5%, while Wi-Fi 6 rose from 4.0% in Q1 2022 to 20.6% in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 7 accounted for 1.3%.

Middle East, Latin America, and Africa show lower 6 GHz use

The Middle East recorded 0.3% 6 GHz usage in Q1 2026. The 5 GHz band accounted for 55.4% of samples, while 2.4 GHz retained 44.2%.

Saudi Arabia has allocated the full 1,200 MHz of 6 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use. Markets such as Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria have not opened the band for Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi 4 remained the largest Wi-Fi generation in the Middle East, with 38.8% of samples in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 5 followed at 34.9%.

The report distinguishes Gulf Cooperation Council markets, which have more fibre availability, from other markets with older infrastructure.

Latin America showed limited 6 GHz usage, with the band accounting for 0.1% of total Wi-Fi samples in Q1 2026. Puerto Rico recorded 1.1%, and Costa Rica stood at 0.5%. Mexico recorded 0.2%, while Brazil stood at 0.1%.

The region’s primary Wi-Fi band was 5 GHz, which accounted for 63.3% of usage in Q1 2026, up from 46.1% in H1 2022. The 2.4 GHz band declined from 53.9% to 36.5% over the same period.

Wi-Fi 5 was the dominant generation in Latin America, rising from 43% of samples in Q1 2022 to 52% in Q1 2026. Wi-Fi 4 fell from 57% to 36%. Wi-Fi 6 increased from 1% to 13%. Wi-Fi 7 samples were not large enough to change the regional share.

Africa had the lowest 6 GHz adoption among the regions covered. The band recorded 0.0% of total Wi-Fi samples across the continent in Q1 2026, with commercial use mainly visible in South Africa at 0.2%.

The 2.4 GHz band still carried the largest share of African Wi-Fi traffic at 52.4% in Q1 2026, down from 76.4% in Q1 2022. The 5 GHz band increased from 23.6% to 47.6% over the same period.

Wi-Fi 4 accounted for 48.8% of African samples in Q1 2026, while Wi-Fi 5 represented 34.4%. Wi-Fi 6 rose from 1.6% in Q1 2022 to 16.8%, and Wi-Fi 7 stood at 0.1%.

Most Android samples support Wi-Fi 6 or newer

Globally, 61.4% of Speedtest Wi-Fi samples from Android devices in Q1 2026 came from devices supporting Wi-Fi 6 or newer standards. Devices limited to Wi-Fi 5 or below accounted for 38.6%.

The report also noted component cost pressures affecting smartphones and customer premises equipment. It cited demand for high-performance memory and processors used in AI infrastructure, along with higher equipment bills of materials.

Omdia forecasts that Wi-Fi 7 will account for 13.8% of the global consumer CPE installed base by 2030, rising from 3.6% in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 35.2%. Wi-Fi 6 is forecast to remain the largest generation, reaching 62.0% by 2030.

Omdia also expects Wi-Fi 8 CPE to start reaching the market in 2028. The standard, being developed under IEEE 802.11bn, is expected to focus less on headline speed and more on reliability, roaming, latency, packet loss, connection stability, and power efficiency.

(Photo by Dreamlike Street)

See also: A closer look at Wi-Fi performance across 2025’s top phones

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