Wi-Fi 8 standard officially announced: Revolutionary features for uninterrupted connection

Wi-Fi Alliance announced the official introduction of the long-awaited Wi-Fi 8 standard, which will shape the connection technologies of the future. According to the statement made by the organization, with the new standard, connection interruptions and delays encountered by users will be significantly reduced. The most important innovation of Wi-Fi 8 is that it is equipped with a technology called Multi-Link Operation (MLO). Thanks to this feature, devices will be able to provide more stable and faster connections by using more than one frequency band at the same time.

What happened?

In the official statement made by the Wi-Fi Alliance, in addition to the introduction of the Wi-Fi 8 standard, the innovations that this standard will bring were also detailed. The new standard aims to increase performance, especially in environments with heavy network traffic. In addition to the 6 GHz band used in Wi-Fi 7, improvements have been made in Wi-Fi 8 to enable more efficient use of this band. In addition, with a system called Enhanced Real-Time Traffic Management included in the standard, the management of real-time data flows will be optimized and delay times will be minimized.

According to the statement of the Wi-Fi Alliance, the certification process required for the commercial use of Wi-Fi 8 will be completed in 2027. The standard is planned to become widely used in 2028. In this process, manufacturers are expected to launch their devices that comply with the new standard.

Background

Wi-Fi technologies have developed rapidly in recent years, significantly improving users' internet experience. With Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E standards, wider bandwidths and lower latencies began to be offered. Wi-Fi 7 attracted attention with innovations such as 320 MHz channels and 4K-QAM modulation. During the development of Wi-Fi 8, research conducted especially on multi-connection technologies and real-time data management formed the basis of the standard.

The Wi-Fi Alliance worked closely with manufacturers, researchers, and other stakeholders throughout the development of the standards. Thanks to this collaboration, Wi-Fi 8 was designed to better meet users' needs.

Why is it important?

The introduction of Wi-Fi 8 is expected to revolutionize environments such as offices, stadiums, conference rooms and smart home systems, especially those with heavy network traffic. Thanks to the new standard, users will no longer have to deal with connection interruptions and will be able to get faster, more stable connections. Additionally, it will become possible for real-time applications (e.g. virtual reality, autonomous vehicles and industrial IoT) to operate more reliably.

The innovations that Wi-Fi 8 will bring are also of great importance for future smart city projects and industrial automation systems. In these projects, millions of devices need to be connected reliably at the same time. The technologies offered by Wi-Fi 8 will enable such applications to run more efficiently and reliably.

What do experts and parties say?

Kevin Robinson, CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, said in his statement: "The introduction of Wi-Fi 8 will be the beginning of a new era in connection technologies. The new standard will eliminate connection interruptions, one of the biggest problems faced by users, and offer faster, more reliable connections." Robinson also emphasized the importance of collaboration with manufacturers and researchers in the development of the standard.

Broadcom's Vice President of Wireless Network Technologies, Todor Cooklev, stated that the innovations that Wi-Fi 8 will bring are an important step, especially in multi-connection technologies and real-time data management. "Wi-Fi 8 is designed to meet the connection needs of the future. Thanks to this standard, users will now be able to get faster and more reliable connections," Cooklev said.

What to watch next?

The certification process required for Wi-Fi 8 to be put into commercial use will be completed in 2027. In this process, manufacturers are expected to launch their devices that comply with the new standard. It is important for users to follow manufacturers' statements in order to purchase devices compatible with the new standard. It is also recommended to regularly review the certification program and compatible device lists published on the Wi-Fi Alliance's official website.

In order for the innovations that Wi-Fi 8 will bring to be fully understood and for users to benefit from these innovations, manufacturers and service providers are expected to organize training and support programs regarding the new standard. In this way, users will be able to adopt new technology faster and more efficiently.