Wi-Fi 8 standard aims to fix wireless internet stability issues

The upcoming Wi-Fi 8 standard is being developed as an attempt to fix the biggest problem with wireless internet. While current home internet plans with speeds of a few hundred megabits per second are easily managed by Wi-Fi 6 routers, and Wi-Fi 7 can generally keep up with faster 2 Gbps fiber connections, the new version shifts the focus to stability.

The design aims to plug the holes that lead to shaky connections, including weak signals in parts of a house, apartment buildings where 20 networks compete for airtime, or clunky mesh handoffs when moving between rooms. The underlying standard, 802.11bn, is nicknamed "Ultra High Reliability" to accentuate its focus on consistency and stability.

According to the developers, Wi-Fi 8 should achieve 25 percent better throughput for weak signals, 25 percent fewer dropped packets, and 25 percent lower latency at the shakiest moments. These improvements are particularly expected when moving between access points.

The main way it achieves these goals relates to how access points work together. Today's routers share channels by taking turns, but Wi-Fi 8 refines this by letting compatible access points coordinate when each one transmits, which will make the most sense with mesh systems.