The first devices are still years away, but the details of wifi 8 are becoming obvious in broad outline. The new standard above all wants to be a version which should bring the speeds closer both in theory and in practice.
Every now and then a new wifi standard comes along. In recent years, this specification has led to significant improvements in data transfer speeds, meaning that a wireless network is able, under ideal conditions, to rival a wired connection. The phrase ‘in ideal circumstances’ is a crucial nuance.
46 Gbit/s, theoretically
This is how wifi 7, the newest standard for which devices already exist today, promises speeds of up to 46 gigabits per second. Provided that your device, the underlying access point, router and connections are also brand new and ultra-powerful. Compared to wifi 4, we are talking about speeds forty times higher.
At least in theory, because besides hardware and software, walls (or lack thereof), weather conditions, whether or not there is movement or obstacles between the transmitter and receiver also have a major impact on how fast you actually send data over wifi.
More reliable
The exact specifications of wifi 8 have not yet been determined. But The Register site discovered thanks to a white paper from chipmaker MediaTek that these are generally the same specifications, but supplemented by numerous features likely to improve the management and stability of wireless connections. Or in other words: that the speed achieved by a device on wifi is closer to the promised speed.
One of the new features is called Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR): If there are overlapping signals between APs, they will coordinate with each other to avoid colliding. Today, if you place too many access points close to each other, you are more likely to experience interference in your home.
Another feature is called Cooperative Beamforming (Co-BF), especially in multi-user environments: there the device will be able to direct the signal to the receiver, so that there is less interference for other devices.
Dynamic Sub-channel Operation(DSO) must allow an access point to assign devices to individual subchannels. According to MediaTek’s white paper, this will be able to guarantee better data flow by up to twenty percent. In environments with heavy data traffic, this value could even reach eighty percent.
As for functionalityModulation and Coding Schemes(MCS), it will be able to guarantee that the transmission speed is adapted to the circumstances, for example when a device moves away from an access point.
The Register notes that these individual features won’t cause an earthquake, but together they should ensure a more stable and reliable Wi-Fi standard. This should lead to higher speeds in practice. Although the new standard would also raise the bar when it comes to (theoretical) top speed. With fewer jumps than what we experienced with the last generations.
Not for now
The important thing is that we are not too far away from it yet. Anyone currently renovating a network, no need to hold their breath until wifi 8 is available. Siân Morgan, research director at analyst Dell’Oro, told The Register that the first devices would not arrive on the market until the second half of 2028.
At the same time, all the ingredients must be present: your Android, iPhone or Windows laptop must have the appropriate hardware, but Windows, Android and iOS must also support this standard at the software level. ‘There is a significant gap between the development of a new wifi standard and its widespread adoption. Therefore, it may be necessary to wait until the late twenties for wifi 8 to become mainstream. By then, we will also see the first cases of 6G,’ Morgan tells The Register.
