On the road to Wi-Fi 8? Broadcom introduces first Wi-Fi 8 ecosystem

Broadcom launches a series of Wi-Fi 8 chips for residential gateways, enterprise access points, and mobile clients, aiming to prepare networks for AI applications at the edge.

It seems like only yesterday that Wi-Fi 7 made its debut, but Broadcom is already looking ahead to Wi-Fi 8. The company has introduced the first Wi-Fi 8 silicon ecosystem aimed at applications in the AI era. The new chips are designed for use in residential networks, enterprise environments, and mobile devices. They should enable reliable, low-latency connections for AI workloads at the network edge. In addition to offering off-the-shelf chips, Broadcom is also making its Wi-Fi 8 IP available for license to other manufacturers of edge devices such as IoT devices and vehicles.

Focused on AI

Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 portfolio consists of four chips: the BCM6718 for home networks, the BCM43840 and BCM43820 for enterprise access points, and the BCM43109 for mobile clients such as smartphones and cars. Each of these solutions features capabilities such as low-latency connectivity, extended range, and support for AI-driven telemetry. The latter makes it possible to analyze and optimize network data in real time via AI models, locally or in the cloud.

The Wi-Fi 8 standard focuses less on peak speeds and more on consistency, reliability, and low latency, even under high network load. Key technologies include coordinated beamforming, dynamic bandwidth expansion, and improved roaming between access points.

The Wi-Fi 8 silicon solutions are currently in the sampling phase with selected partners. The licensing model is available immediately for interested parties.

Manufacturers are Looking Ahead

TP-Link is also making progress with the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. The Chinese router manufacturer recently conducted a successful test with Wi-Fi 8. During the test, data transfer was achieved with a prototype device developed through a “joint industrial collaboration,” according to the manufacturer.

“The test successfully validated both the Wi-Fi 8 beacon and data throughput, confirming the feasibility of the technology and marking a crucial milestone in the development of Wi-Fi 8,” the company said. This is a major step towards “highly reliable, wireless technology.”