Three Reasons 2026 Is Wi-Fi 7's Breakout Year, According To Cisco
RCR Wireless News, Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
Wi-Fi 7 has been on the roadmap for years, but widespread adoption has lagged behind expectations (most notably in the U.S.). Now, though, Cisco believes the timing has finally aligned. According to Cisco CTO Matt MacPherson, 2026 could mark a turning point for the technology as market conditions, deployment readiness, and customer demand begin to converge.
Device readiness. Reason number one, MacPherson told RCR Wireless News, is that devices are ready. In 2025, he explained, top-of-the-line phones from OEMs like Apple and Samsung had Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. 'But now it's going across everything,' he said. 'If you buy a laptop now, it's more likely to have Wi-Fi 7 than not.'
A much-needed refresh after some '6E confusion.' Cisco is starting to see a 'refresh alignment,' where enough Access Points (APs) are finally available, and with so many (more than 40%!) of the company's customers still on Wi-Fi 5, an update is long overdue. 'From a refresh cycle standpoint, these guys are really ready to go to the next technology,' MacPherson said, adding that the launch of 6E also added some confusion in the market. Customers were wondering what exactly this update meant and if it made sense to upgrade to 6E at all or wait until the next full generation. 'But Wi-Fi 7 makes it clear,' he said.