Instead of increasing the physical data transfer rate beyond the 23 Gbps offered by Wi-Fi 7, the next-generation Wi-Fi 8—based on IEEE's 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability (UHR) specification—will focus on improving connection reliability and user experience.
Traditionally, new Wi-Fi iterations (as specified by IEEE 802.11 standards) have focused on maximizing data transfer rates by increasing channel bandwidth and number of channels and introducing new modulation methods. With Wi-Fi 7, the maximum PHY rate is 23 Gbps, though nobody expects to hit speeds that high. Also, the reliability of high-speed Wi-Fi connections leaves much to be desired. To that end, the next-generation Wi-Fi 8 iteration will not increase theoretical speed but will introduce new features designed to improve real-world performance and boost connection reliability, reports PC World, citing a MediaTek whitepaper.
