Quick summary
The next standard of Wi-Fi will bring reliability in challenging conditions.
The new Wi-Fi 8 protocol is currently in development and not expected to be completed until 2028.
The evolution of Wi-Fi isn’t standing still, with new details emerging about the next big thing in wireless connectivity – Wi-Fi 8. Unlike Wi-Fi 7, which focuses on speed and data, Wi-Fi 8 is going to focus on something else, and we’ll all benefit from it.
Wi-Fi protocols are developed by a working group at the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) before being ratified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The new standard, called 802.11bn, is in development and is being referred to as Ultra High Reliability (UHR).
Rather than just making data transfers faster, Wi-Fi 8 will focus on ensuring the performance of Wi-Fi is solid in the most difficult of conditions. That means devices right on the edge of connectivity should offer better performance, reducing dropped information, while operation in congested signal areas (where a lot of other devices might interfere) is also being addressed.
One of the companies involved in the development of the new standard is Qualcomm, which will also be a major player in supporting hardware, especially in mobile devices like AR headsets, wearables and smartphones.
Here’s how Qualcomm summarises the advancements that Wi-Fi 8 will bring:
- At least 25% higher throughput in challenging signal conditions.
- 25% lower latency at the top end of distribution.
- 25% fewer packets dropped, particularly when roaming between access points.
For individuals, Wi-Fi 8 should boost connectivity around the home, allowing for more devices to be connected, at longer ranges, with greater reliability. That should allow you to put that security camera at the end of the garden where it currently struggles to maintain a connection, for example.
This isn’t just for homes: Wi-Fi 8 is being developed to boost the performance of wireless networks in all environments, including public spaces and in enterprise. Critically, this is about ensuring that connected devices can work efficiently, in all conditions.
For public spaces that should mean that Wi-Fi performance is better, so you don’t connect to a network and find that the performance is terrible.
When will Wi-Fi 8 be available?
Wi-Fi 8 is currently in development and expected to be finalised in 2028; even once Wi-Fi 8 is here, it will still take some time for the new technology to make it into devices.
Currently, we’re only just seeing Wi-Fi 7 in the best phones and laptops, with few other devices supporting the tech. Currently, Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems come at a premium, while services like Sky Broadband have only just launched a Wi-Fi 7 router in the Gigafast+ hub.
It might be some time before you actually get to see the benefits of Wi-Fi 8.
