Only one in 50 homes in the US currently uses a Wi-Fi 7 router, but the next generation of wireless routers is already on the way. New details on Wi-Fi 8 were just released by Qualcomm, with the standard expected to be finalized in 2028.
While Wi-Fi 7 is all about speed, increasing the maximum amount of data that could be transmitted from 2.4Gbps to 5.8Gbps, Wi-Fi 8 will focus on improving reliability. The initiative is being called Ultra High Reliability, and it states its goal as making connections “faster, more responsive and more robust.”
The reality is, most of us have all the Wi-Fi speed we need. Online gaming and videoconferencing don’t require more than 50Mbps speeds, but the median US household gets 288Mbps. The real pain point for most of us is when our internet drops out or fails to reach parts of the house. Those are the problems Wi-Fi 8 is looking to solve.
“Over the generations, we’ve had significant increases in throughput and speeds and area. Now we’re at a stage where we really need to make sure that we have a very high-quality, reliable, low-latency user experience,” Rolf De Vegt, Qualcomm’s vice president of technical standards, told CNET.
According to the scope document published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Wi-Fi 8, or 802.11bn, will have the following targets:
- At least 25% higher throughput in challenging signal conditions.
- 25% lower latency at the 95th percentile of the latency distribution.
- 25% fewer dropped packets especially when roaming between access points.
Wi-Fi for an AI world
Many of the improvements outlined in the Wi-Fi 8 scope document predict a world in which AI is deeply embedded in everyday life. Rather than raw data throughput being the Wi-Fi north star, responsiveness and reliability are now being prioritized.
“By 2028, you’re in a situation where there are a significant amount of devices that are completely reliant on continuous, high-speed, low-latency connectivity,” De Vegt says. “With things like AI, there’s a significant dependency on higher reliability for your Wi-Fi.”
Wi-Fi 8 engineers are also working to develop a standard that can hold up in difficult environments where congestion, interference and coverage boundaries have impaired the user experience in the past. Qualcomm’s report cites the increase in “personal device ecosystems” like augmented reality glasses, health monitors and wearable tech as a reason for improving the dynamism of local Wi-Fi networks.
“Whether wearable, embedded in smart environments or autonomous, AI-driven systems demand reliable, low-latency connectivity to access edge or cloud-based AI for real-time inference,” De Vegt writes in the Qualcomm report.
Improved Wi-Fi range
A big part of the reliability goal for the Wi-Fi 8 standard is maintaining a continuous connection across multiple access points. One of the new features is called Single Mobility Domains, which allows devices to keep a seamless connection as they move around a space. In past Wi-Fi standards, slight interruptions or packet drops were common as the device gets handed off to a different access point.
Expanded range will also be one of the key improvements in Wi-Fi 8 routers, with a “range of physical layer enhancements” added in to maintain high-quality connections at the outer bounds of a router’s coverage.
These routers will also be designed to work in high-density environments like apartment buildings or airports, where overlapping signals can often result in a laggy and slow connection. Wi-Fi 8 routers will have something called multi-AP, or access point, coordination. This feature will allow routers to work together rather than independently to share resources between access points.
How to improve your Wi-Fi connection right now
Three years is still a long time to wait for a more reliable Wi-Fi connection. Fortunately, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 routers still offer more than enough speed for most households, and there are several things you can do to increase the reliability of your network right now:
- Upgrade to a mesh system: Many Wi-Fi routers list coverage areas up to 5,000 square feet, but I usually recommend switching to a mesh system if your home is larger than 2,500 square feet. This will essentially eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones in your house, blanketing every room in strong, steady Wi-Fi.
- Prioritize traffic on your router: Most routers these days come with Quality of Service settings that let you prioritize traffic to specific devices. If you want to make sure your work meeting or online game never gets interrupted, this is a great option. You can usually configure these settings in your router’s app.
- Buy your own router: 71% of internet subscribers in the US rent equipment from their provider. Learn from my mistake: it will save you money in the long run to buy your own router (and possibly modem). You might even get a nice speed boost in the process. When I swapped out my Xfinity equipment for a budget modem and router, my speeds increased from 164/5Mbps to 237/118Mbps.
- Move your router: When I talked to two Wi-Fi technicians earlier this year, they told me one of the most common mistakes they see when working on home networks is the placement of Wi-Fi routers. Because they’re not the most aesthetically pleasing gadgets to look at, many people are tempted to stash them away in a cabinet, behind the couch or on the floor. This can significantly diminish your router’s signal strength. For the best connection, your router should ideally be in a centrally located room of the home, a few feet off the ground and somewhere you can see it. If you can, move it at least a foot away from the wall, too.
