In Wi-Fi 7, what feature lets devices use multiple wireless links at once?

In Wi-Fi 7, Multi-Link Operation lets devices use multiple wireless links at once.

Defined by IEEE 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7 can coordinate links across the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. A compatible device and access point can use more than one band to improve throughput, reduce latency, or maintain a connection when one band becomes congested.

Multi-Link Operation is not the same as simply owning a tri-band router. Both the client device and the access point need compatible Wi-Fi 7 hardware and software, and the actual performance depends on channel conditions, network configuration, and regional spectrum rules.

Wi-Fi 7 also introduces or expands other capabilities, including 320 MHz channels and 4096-QAM modulation. These features are related to higher performance, but Multi-Link Operation specifically concerns coordinating several wireless links between compatible devices.