Officially, Wi-Fi 8 is known as IEEE 802.11bn or Ultra High Reliability (UHR) Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). The key word in that mouthful of a name is reliability. Instead of chasing higher speeds, which is what Wi-Fi 7 was all about, Wi-Fi 8 is designed to deliver a more consistent and dependable connection.
You may have read that Wi-Fi 8 will be much faster, up to 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps). This speed boost would be accomplished using a technology already used in some 5G implementations called millimeter wave (mmWave). That’s the theory, anyway. In practice, mmWave promises to be hard to implement. Many people expect, as do I, that if mmWave does appear, it will be in an even later protocol called Wi-Fi 8E. I don’t expect to see mmWave in devices this decade.
Also: What is Wi-Fi 7 and just how fast is it?
Wi-Fi 8’s stability is important because while Wi-Fi 7 is as fast as blazes — I’ve seen speeds of over 1.9 Gbps from my Netgear Orbi 970 from an AT&T Fiber 2 Gbps connection — it can be unstable at times. In particular, when using Wi-Fi 7’s ultra-highspeed 6 GHz band, I’ve sometimes seen an inability to maintain stable connections. In addition, the backhaul from the main router to its satellites has sometimes glitched.
Now, that may not be a problem for everyone. The other bands have worked just fine. But if you’re all about speed — and if you’re not, why are you using Wi-Fi 7? — that instability can be annoying.
Much of that issue is not the protocol’s problem. I blame the problem on firmware issues. The good news is Wi-Fi 8 is poised to stabilize our wireless experience by prioritizing reliability and efficiency over raw throughput. And as router manufacturers continue to perfect their implementations of Wi-Fi 7, those devices will also become more stable.
Wi-Fi 8 will maintain the same maximum physical layer rate of 23 Gbps as Wi-Fi 7, utilizing the familiar 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The real innovation lies in how Wi-Fi 8 optimizes these existing resources to provide a superior user experience.
Here’s what these improvements will look like.
Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR)
One of Wi-Fi 8’s standout features is Co-SR. This technology allows access points to dynamically adjust their power output based on the proximity of devices and other access points. This capability should reduce interference and Wi-Fi congestion. Co-SR has the potential to boost overall system throughput by 15% to 25%, resulting in fewer dropped connections and faster response times, even in crowded networks.
Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF)
Building on earlier Wi-Fi innovations, Co-BF enables multiple access points to work together, directing signals more efficiently toward active devices. This advancement should be particularly beneficial in crowded environments and can improve throughput by 20% to 50% in mesh setups.
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Co-BF could make a true difference in real-world conditions. For example, in my home office, my mesh network must contend with neighbors, four other mesh networks, and over a dozen Wi-Fi access points. That’s a lot of traffic and potential interference. Anything that can help deal with that issue is a win in my book.
Dynamic Sub-Channel Operation (DSO)
DSO represents another leap forward, dynamically assigning bandwidth to devices based on their capabilities and needs. The hope is this technology can push throughput up to 80% higher, ensuring faster data transfer. I doubt it will provide that kind of improvement, but even half of that target would be a big step forward.
Reliability and User Experience
Wi-Fi 8’s focus on reliability extends beyond the specific features listed above. The new standard aims to use the available spectrum more effectively, allowing more devices to connect simultaneously without a drop in performance. This capability is crucial for addressing the challenges posed by the growing number of connected devices in homes and businesses.
Wi-Fi 8’s reliability and efficiency will open up new possibilities for advanced applications. With its potential for lower latency and more stable connections, Wi-Fi 8 could be a game-changer for technologies like virtual and augmented reality, real-time gaming, and industrial automation.
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While Wi-Fi 8 promises exciting advancements, it’s important to note that we’re still a long way from seeing the technology in our homes and offices. The IEEE plans to finalize and submit the Wi-Fi 8 standard by 2027. The first Wi-Fi 8-compatible products are expected to launch in early 2028.
I expect you’ll see Wi-Fi 8 devices sooner than that. Manufacturers are much too fond of selling gear before standards are finalized. Wait until the standard is set, and then buy Wi-Fi 8 hardware. You’ll be glad you waited.
While Wi-Fi 8 may not offer the headline-grabbing speed increases of previous generations, its focus on reliability, efficiency, and user experience represents a mature evolution of wireless technology. As our reliance on wireless connectivity grows, these improvements will likely significantly impact our daily lives more than boosting raw speed alone.