Atti Abderrahim
Table of Contents
The ink is barely dry on Wi-Fi 7, and the tech world is already buzzing about its successor, Wi-Fi 8. Promising even faster speeds, more reliable connections, reduced latency, and improved energy efficiency, Wi-Fi 8 is set to revolutionize wireless networking. Here’s what we know so far.
What is Wi-Fi 8?
Wi-Fi 8, officially known as 802.11bn, is the next wireless standard to be developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Standards Association. Following in the footsteps of Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), which became available in early 2024, WiFi 8 aims to enhance connection stability and handle a larger number of connected devices simultaneously.
Labeled as UHR, or Ultra High Reliability, Wi-Fi 8’s primary goal is to ensure more stable connections and better management of multiple devices, rather than just increasing speeds. As homes continue to fill with Wi-Fi-dependent gadgets, from appliances like ovens and refrigerators to smart lights and speakers, the demand for more robust Wi-Fi performance grows.
Expected Speeds
Wi-Fi 8 is targeting maximum speeds of up to 100 Gbps, roughly doubling the theoretical speeds of Wi-Fi 7, which can reach up to 46 Gbps. While this increase is significant, speed isn’t the main focus of this new standard. Previous generations saw larger jumps in speed—Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 tripled speeds from 3.5 Gbps to 9.6 Gbps, and Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7 nearly quintupled them from 9.6 Gbps to 46 Gbps.
The more measured speed increase with Wi-Fi 8 reflects a shift in priority. The massive speed gains of Wi-Fi 7 have already satisfied the needs for fast file downloads, 4K streaming, and cloud gaming. Wi-Fi 8 will achieve part of its speed boost through improved quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), moving from 4096-QAM in Wi-Fi 7 to 8192-QAM, increasing the number of bits per hertz and enhancing bandwidth efficiency.
Frequency Bands
Wi-Fi 8 will continue to utilize the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The 6 GHz band, introduced with Wi-Fi 6E, offers broad 320 MHz channels capable of handling substantial data traffic and is less congested than the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Although the IEEE has explored ultra-high-frequency bands around 60 GHz with WiGig (802.11ad and 802.11ay), these frequencies present challenges such as limited range, making them unsuitable for typical home environments. Consequently, Wi-Fi 8 will not venture beyond 6 GHz, maintaining a balance between speed, range, and obstacle penetration.
Reduced Latency
Each new Wi-Fi generation aims to reduce latency, and Wi-Fi 8 will continue this trend. A specific mode might cut latency by 25% at the 95th percentile, and even more at the 99th percentile. This focus on minimizing peak latency rather than just average latency is crucial for applications requiring ultra-responsive connections, like cloud gaming, augmented reality, virtual reality, and industrial IoT.
Technologies like Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), 16×16 Multiple User – Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO), Quality of Service (QoS), Stream Classification Service (SCS), and Restricted Target Wake Time (R-TWT) will all contribute to lowering latency.
Enhanced Reliability
Wi-Fi 8 aims to improve connection reliability and stability by minimizing interference. Access points might adjust their transmission power based on proximity to other access points, and non-overlapping channels could be manually or automatically assigned using Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS). Network load balancing can also help by directing devices to the least congested access points.
Availability Timeline
Following the six-year gap between major updates (Wi-Fi 6 was finalized in 2019, Wi-Fi 6E in 2021, and Wi-Fi 7 in 2024), Wi-Fi 8 is expected around 2028. According to an IEEE report from 2022 and insights from Dr. Srikanth Subramanian, a wireless telecommunications expert, 2028 is a realistic projection for Wi-Fi 8’s market debut.
Should You Wait for Wi-Fi 8?
Since Wi-Fi 8 won’t be available until 2028 and widespread adoption will take time, there’s no need to hold off on upgrading to Wi-Fi 7. You can enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi 7 now, with a gradual transition to Wi-Fi 8 when you naturally upgrade your devices and your ISP updates its routers. For most users, Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E will still meet current needs effectively.
Wi-Fi 8 is set to push the boundaries of wireless networking, offering substantial improvements in speed, latency, and reliability. While it may be a few years away, the advancements it promises are worth looking forward to.
