Overview
In May 2026, Oakton College in Illinois documented a $468,917.60 purchase authorization to replace its campus wireless infrastructure with Wi-Fi 7 equipment. The planned purchase covered 379 access points, guest-access software, and five years of management and support. Most of the original Wi-Fi 6 access points installed in 2019 were approaching the end of manufacturer support. After evaluating partial replacement, the college proposed replacing its entire wireless estate.1
Oakton's decision illustrates a distinction for campus CIOs. The need to modernize infrastructure, the technology selected, and the appropriate deployment scope are related but separate investment decisions.
A university with an adequately performing, supported Wi-Fi 6E network may have little reason to replace it immediately. An institution facing equipment obsolescence may reasonably select Wi-Fi 7 even before its advanced capabilities are widely used. A mixed-generation campus may require a different approach altogether.
The strategic issue is not …