Glimpsed future potential of Wi-Fi 8, and an innovative new feature left me quite thrilled
The wireless world is set for a significant shift with the introduction of Wi-Fi 8, the latest wireless standard formalised by the Wi-Fi Alliance in January 2022. Unlike its predecessor, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8 focuses on ultra-high reliability, aiming to improve wireless connectivity in challenging real-world environments.
What's New in Wi-Fi 8?
Wi-Fi 8 promises several key improvements over current standards. Here's a breakdown:
- Improved Performance in Difficult Signal Conditions: Wi-Fi 8 is designed to offer a 25% higher throughput in difficult signal conditions, such as at the edge of coverage or in dense apartments.
- Lower Latency: Wi-Fi 8 is expected to reduce latency by 25% at the 95th percentile, supporting more responsive applications that require low delay.
- Fewer Dropped Packets: With Wi-Fi 8, there will be a 25% reduction in dropped packets, a crucial feature for seamless roaming between access points and uninterrupted connectivity.
- Seamless Roaming: Wi-Fi 8 introduces 'Single Mobility Domains', enabling devices to maintain continuous, low-latency connections as they move within and between Wi-Fi zones. This feature is particularly important for enterprise, industrial, and public venue use.
- New Technical Features: Wi-Fi 8 includes Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF), and Dynamic Sub-Channel Operation (DSO) to reduce interference, improve spatial efficiency, and enhance signal quality in congested environments.
The Focus on Reliability
Unlike Wi-Fi 7, which prioritised speed, Wi-Fi 8 is all about reliability. It aims to deliver consistent, reliable, low-latency, and near-lossless connectivity in practical, often imperfect conditions. This makes it especially suited for environments with high device density, mobility, and advanced applications like AI-driven devices, augmented reality, and industrial automation.
The Future of Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 8 is expected to finalise by 2028, with consumer devices rolling out in 2029 or 2030. This marks a fundamental pivot in Wi-Fi technology, where the key benefit is improved stability, fewer connection drops, and enhanced performance at the edges of coverage, rather than a substantial speed increase over Wi-Fi 7.
As we move towards a more connected world, Wi-Fi 8 promises to deliver a more reliable, consistent, and responsive wireless experience, setting the stage for a new era of wireless connectivity.
[1] Wi-Fi Alliance [2] IEEE 802.11bn [3] Wi-Fi 8: A New Era of Wireless Connectivity [4] Wi-Fi 8: Focusing on Reliability Over Speed [5] The Evolution of Wi-Fi: From Wi-Fi 7 to Wi-Fi 8
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies will greatly benefit from the improved performance in difficult signal conditions and reduced latency offered by Wi-Fi 8, as it ensures more reliable connections for various real-time applications. The focus on reliability for Wi-Fi 8 makes it a suitable technology for Advanced applications like AI-driven devices, augmented reality, and industrial automation.
