We already know that the next-generation Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn) specification is not meant to improve performance, but rather to boost reliability of wireless connections as they become even more ubiquitous. Since improving reliability is a pretty vague description, the IEEE has issued a scope document that quantitatively defines these enhancements. According to a new post by Qualcomm (which is a contributor to the standard), the IEEE wants Wi-Fi 8 devices to offer a 25% improvement across a number of metrics, under the umbrella of Ultra High Reliability, or UHR.
Just like Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8 is set to offer a peak physical layer (PHY) rate of up to 23 GT/s, though it remains to be seen whether such rate will be achievable in real-world conditions. The UHR goals in Wi-Fi 8 aim to deliver a 25% increase in real-world data throughput specifically under challenging signal conditions.
