Wi -Fi 8 may sound for science fiction, but it has already begun to take shape. Although there are still several years left for this new generation of wireless connectivity to become a tangible reality for users and manufacturers, gears are already underway. And what is anticipated is not only an incremental improvement with respect to Wi -Fi 7, but a structural evolution designed for tomorrow’s connected environments: more intelligent, more demanding and more saturated with simultaneous devices.
The fstandard uturo IEEE 802.11bn, Wi -Fi 8 Technical Baseis found in its early development phases, with a road map that points to its Standardization around 2028. The approach this time changes radically: far from prioritizing the maximum theoretical speed, as happened with Wi -Fi 6 and Wi -Fi 7, The key objectives revolve around stability, reduced latency and spectral efficiency. Qualcomm, which already actively collaborates in its definition, has advanced some metrics: 25 % more real This is expected in typical conditions of use, a 25 % reduction in peak latency and a similar decrease in the loss of packages during roaming between access points.
And is that Roaming is precisely one of the great challenges that Wi -Fi 8 intends to address. At present, although networks allow some mobility between access points, experience is not always fluid, especially in large or moving spaces. WI -FI 8 will seek to eliminate such interruptions, offering a continuous, transparent and without perceptible falls for the user. This advance will be especially important for critical applications such as augmented reality, cloud games or moving business video calls.
Another of the great bets of the standard is the Active coordination between access pointswhich will allow dynamic and cooperative management of the wireless environment. That is, routers and repeaters will stop acting as independent nodes and will form an intelligent mesh that will distribute network resources according to device density, demand and signal conditions. This model will optimize spectrum use and reduce interference, two problems that are aggravated as the number of devices connected in the same environment increases.
Although Wi -Fi 8 will not increase the maximum bandwidth against Wi -Fi 7 (which already reaches 46 Gbps in ideal conditions), will introduce crucial improvements in the way that bandwidth is used. The use of massive mime, an evolution of the current multiple antennas system, will allow more parallel devices to be served without compromising the quality of the link. In turn, it is expected a more efficient integration with other wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth and 5g and 6G mobile networksthrough advanced coexistence techniques and shared spectrum management.
In parallel, One of the foci will be energy efficiency. As the sensors and devices of the Internet of things proliferate, many of them fed by battery or even by environmental energy collection, it becomes essential that wireless networks consume less. WI -FI 8 will include new techniques to reduce energy use, allowing devices to remain longer in low consumption states without losing connectivity or response capacity.
All this does not imply, of course, that Wi -Fi 7 is already on the way of obsolescence. Quite the contrary: the coexistence of previous and future generations is part of the modular design of the Wi -Fi ecosystem. WI -FI 8 will not immediately replace its predecessor, but it will mark the new standard for high demand environments, offering a more robust, resilient and adaptive network.
Thus, although Wi -Fi 8 is not just around the corner, its development is already A clear sign of where the future of wireless connectivity is directed. A future in which not only aspirate at more speed is aspired, but to a network that understands the context, optimizes resources, guarantees the quality of service and adapts in real time to the environment. Bit A bit, that future has already begun to be written.
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