By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
The new IEEE 802.11bn standard will at some point in 2028 morph into the next generation of Wi-Fi (meaning Wi-Fi 8) which means the standardisation work is now getting up to speed in earnest. Our Chief Trainer Dr Srikanth Subramanian is keeping abreast of the latest feature plans for Wi-Fi 8 standard.
Yes – it’s a long time off, but standardisation work is extremely detailed, meticulous, and involves the discussion of lots of ideas, innovation, and new concepts. In the course of the next few years the IEEE 802.11 Working Group will be working hard to define what the next generation of Wi-Fi should be all about. And our Chief Trainer Dr Srikanth Subramanian is following the progress.
“Power saving on both the client and AP sides are becoming important and some initiatives towards that have been finalised on the client side. These features have been inspired by EMLSR [Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio] and SMPS [Spatial Multiplexing Power Save]. During the 802.11be [Wi-Fi 7] standardisation, multi-AP coordination was discussed but it was never included. We are seeing some of those schemes being worked on for inclusion into 802.11bn. Many other things are also being discussed and this is going to be a busy year for the standardisation folks,” says Dr Srikanth Subramanian.
Some of the most important features and changes expected in Wi-Fi 8 include (see above): Enhanced power savings, multi-AP coordination (for spatial reuse & beamforming), better use of large channels, and more. Integrated millimetre-wave and ambient power are also important work areas. Qualcomm’s Rolf de Vegt, VP of Technical Standards, also offered this summary of the latest IEEE 802.11 meeting in Montreal, Canada – see below.
For more details don’t miss Wi-Fi NOW Academy Masterclass on current and future Wi-Fi standards at WWC Europe in Geneva, Switzerland on September 23! Get your tickets here.
/Claus.
