Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is a Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) feature that lets a device send and receive data across more than one frequency band at the same time, such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, instead of being tied to a single band. The feature is new with Wi-Fi 7, so both the router and the device need Wi-Fi 7 support to use it.
According to Intel, spreading traffic across several links raises overall throughput, cuts latency because data can use the fastest available connection and avoid a congested band, and keeps connections more consistent in busy places such as offices and campuses. The Wi-Fi Alliance describes it as more efficient load balancing of traffic among links, which increases throughput and reliability.
Source: Intel, “Intel Wi-Fi 7” (What is Multi-Link Operation?)
Image: TP-Link Archer BE9700 tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router, by TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.