Wi‑Fi 7 accounted for just 1.8% of global Wi‑Fi samples in Q1 2026, based on Ookla Speedtest data gathered from Android devices. Since its commercial introduction in 2023, Wi‑Fi 7 has remained a small portion of measured samples.
In the same period, Wi‑Fi 6 represented 26.7% of samples, while Wi‑Fi 5 and Wi‑Fi 4 made up 38.3% and 33.2%, respectively.
Over the past four years Wi‑Fi 4 has steadily declined, while Wi‑Fi 6 has gained share in more developed markets. Wi‑Fi 5 continues to hold a significant presence, especially in regions where router replacement cycles are slower.
Wi‑Fi 7 accounts for less than 2% of global samples
Wi‑Fi 7, defined by the IEEE 802.11be standard, received Wi‑Fi Alliance certification under the Wi‑Fi Certified 7 programme in January 2024. The standard supports operation across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands and — where regulation permits — can use channel widths up to 320 MHz.
Where the 6 GHz spectrum is available, Wi‑Fi 7 devices can take advantage of that band and, in markets with the full allocation, support up to three contiguous 320 MHz channels. Wi‑Fi 6E devices can also use 6 GHz but require both the access point and the client device to support the band. Devices capable of 6 GHz cannot access it when connected to older access points that lack support.
Globally the 5 GHz band carried the largest share of Wi‑Fi connections. Ookla data shows 59.8% of global Wi‑Fi users connected on 5 GHz in Q1 2026, up from 49.4% in Q1 2022, while 2.4 GHz declined from 50.6% to 38.5% over the same period. The 6 GHz band remains a small portion of global samples at 1.7% in Q1 2026; spectrum allocation, router availability, service provider strategies and device support vary widely by market.
North America leads 6 GHz usage
North America showed the highest regional adoption of 6 GHz Wi‑Fi, where the band represented 13.8% of Wi‑Fi samples in Q1 2026, up from 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 accounted for 13.8% of Wi‑Fi usage in Q1 2026, with 5 GHz at 69.0% and 2.4 GHz at 17.2%. Canada showed a similar pattern: 13.7% on 6 GHz, 68.5% on 5 GHz and 17.8% on 2.4 GHz.
Wi‑Fi 6 was the dominant generation in North America, making up 57.5% of samples in Q1 2026. Wi‑Fi 7 reached 6.8% — the highest regional share in the dataset — while Wi‑Fi 4 fell to 10.0%. Among US providers with at least 3% of samples, CenturyLink had the largest share of Wi‑Fi 7 users at 14.7%, followed by AT&T Fiber at 10.5% and Spectrum at 6.6%.
Europe records lower 6 GHz use
Europe showed lower 6 GHz adoption than North America: the band represented 1.6% of total Wi‑Fi samples 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 (5945–6425 MHz) available for wireless access systems and radio local area networks, but the upper portion of 6 GHz remains subject to ongoing discussions between mobile and Wi‑Fi interests.
Within Europe, France recorded the highest 6 GHz usage at 8.6% in Q1 2026, followed by Norway at 6.5%. Germany measured 1.1% and Italy 0.4%.
Wi‑Fi 5 remained the largest 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% share for 6 GHz in Q1 2026. Across the region, usage of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz was more evenly split than in North America or Europe.
Singapore led globally for Wi‑Fi 7 adoption, with 25.1% of samples showing Wi‑Fi 7. Report authors linked this to Singapore’s broadband upgrade programmes and telcos bundling Wi‑Fi 7 routers with 10 Gbps consumer plans.
In Singapore, 13.3% of Wi‑Fi usage was on the 6 GHz band in Q1 2026 and 70.8% on 5 GHz. Hong Kong recorded 5.0% 6 GHz usage, Japan 4.2% and Australia 3.6%.
China registered a 7.5% share of Wi‑Fi 7 samples. However, because China has allocated the full 6 GHz band primarily for mobile use rather than unlicensed Wi‑Fi, that share is attributed mainly to dual‑band routers operating on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
Across 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 made up 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. In the region the 5 GHz band accounted for 55.4% of samples and 2.4 GHz retained 44.2%. Saudi Arabia has opened the full 1,200 MHz of 6 GHz for unlicensed use, while some markets, including Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, have not made the band available for Wi‑Fi.
Wi‑Fi 4 remained the largest generation in the Middle East with 38.8% of samples in Q1 2026, followed by Wi‑Fi 5 at 34.9%. The report separates Gulf Cooperation Council markets, which generally have greater fibre availability, from other markets that still rely on older infrastructure.
Latin America showed limited 6 GHz activity, with the band accounting for 0.1% of total Wi‑Fi samples in Q1 2026; Puerto Rico recorded 1.1% and Costa Rica 0.5%. Mexico had 0.2% and Brazil 0.1%. The region’s primary band was 5 GHz, which rose to 63.3% of usage in Q1 2026 from 46.1% in H1 2022, while 2.4 GHz declined from 53.9% to 36.5%.
Wi‑Fi 5 dominated Latin America, increasing from 43% of samples in Q1 2022 to 52% in Q1 2026; Wi‑Fi 4 fell from 57% to 36%, and Wi‑Fi 6 grew from 1% to 13%. Wi‑Fi 7 samples remained too few to materially change regional share.
Africa had the lowest 6 GHz adoption among regions covered, with 6 GHz registering 0.0% of total Wi‑Fi samples in Q1 2026 and commercial use visible mainly 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, while 5 GHz rose from 23.6% to 47.6%.
In Africa, Wi‑Fi 4 accounted for 48.8% of samples in Q1 2026, 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 that support Wi‑Fi 6 or newer standards; devices limited to Wi‑Fi 5 or earlier accounted for 38.6%.
The report also highlighted component cost pressures affecting smartphones and customer premises equipment, citing demand for higher‑performance memory and processors driven by AI infrastructure and rising equipment bills of materials.
Market research firm Omdia forecasts Wi‑Fi 7 will reach 13.8% of the global consumer CPE installed base by 2030, up from 3.6% in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 35.2%. Omdia expects Wi‑Fi 6 to remain the largest generation, reaching 62.0% by 2030, and anticipates initial Wi‑Fi 8 CPE to appear from 2028. Wi‑Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn) is expected to emphasize reliability, roaming, latency, packet loss, connection stability and power efficiency rather than headline speed.
(Photo by Dreamlike Street)
See also: A closer look at Wi‑Fi performance across 2025’s top phones
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