Wi-Fi Chipset Shipments by Product Type

While Wi-Fi 7 is still not yet fully matured, the industry is already progressing fast to Wi-Fi 8, with prototypes of CPE equipped with the future standard expected to appear in 2026.

Whereas Wi-Fi 7 was focused on achieving “extremely high throughput,”, Wi-Fi 8 is aiming to deliver “ultra-high reliability.” This heralds a transition in the value-proposition of the latest Wi-Fi advancements, from that of mere speed to overall reliability.

Wi-Fi 8’s high levels of reliability will be made possible through the simultaneous coordination of multiple Access Points (APs). This multi-AP coordination will enable features such as Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF), and Dynamic Sub-channel Operation (DSO).

Collectively, these features will deliver vast improvements to spectrum efficiency, reduced interference and congestion, and raising overall network reliability.

The multi-AP coordination features of Wi-Fi 8 will be extremely valuable for home networks with multiple nodes operating in spectrum-constrained environments.

The features will also become increasingly important alongside the increase in the number of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the home, as it will help mitigate the network congestion that the increasing numbers of devices would otherwise cause.

As shown by the chart, the number of Wi-Fi chipsets for smart home devices is projected to grow at a 15% CAGR between 2025 and 2030, while those for Internet of Things (IoT) applications will increase at 19%.

The arrival of Wi-Fi 8 is set to coincide with the expansion and maturing of smart home opportunities, presenting a golden opportunity for ISPs should they grasp it (explored in slides 26 to 33).