Qualcomm recently announced that it is actively participating in the standardization of the next generation of Wi-Fi, namely Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn).
This project is led by the IEEE 802.11bn working group under the framework of “Ultra High Reliability” (UHR).
It is understood that, in the context of Wi-Fi 7 pushing performance to new heights, providing enhanced performance and reliability in various environments will be the main focus of Wi-Fi 8. Wi-Fi 8 no longer solely pursues peak rates, but prioritizes ensuring reliable performance in complex real-world environments. Its design goal is to provide a stable, low-latency, and nearly lossless connection experience even in high congestion, interference-prone, and highly mobile environments.
The limitations of existing Wi-Fi technology are becoming increasingly apparent: the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are becoming crowded (due to neighboring Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microwaves, etc.), leading to unpredictable packet loss and latency fluctuations. Efficiency drops sharply when many devices are connected (such as in airports, stadiums, and smart homes), making fairness difficult to guarantee. At the same time, current Wi-Fi devices are prone to brief interruptions when switching between access points (such as video call stuttering and game disconnections).
The goal of Wi-Fi 8 is not only to surpass Wi-Fi 7 but also to achieve quantifiable performance leaps in the most challenging scenarios.
According to IEEE specification documents, Wi-Fi 8 will bring:
-
A throughput increase of at least 25% in complex signal environments.
-
A 25% reduction in latency at the 95th percentile of latency distribution.
-
A 25% reduction in packet loss, especially during roaming between access points.
It is reported that Wi-Fi 8 will enhance Wi-Fi performance from five key dimensions: seamless roaming, edge coverage reliability, smarter coordination under dense deployments, optimized coexistence of devices, and smarter energy management. Ultimately, the goal of Wi-Fi 8 is to provide reliability and performance comparable to wired infrastructure, ensuring a consistently stable home connection experience even in high-density environments such as multi-unit dwellings.
Moreover, in public places such as airports, stadiums, and transportation hubs, Wi-Fi 8 will play a key role in achieving seamless mobile connectivity and stable performance, allowing users to maintain continuous connections while moving through vast spaces and ensuring that critical operations run smoothly even during peak usage times.
Wi-Fi 8 is expected to receive Wi-Fi Alliance certification in January 2028, with final approval in March of the same year.
