Wi-Fi 8: Embracing the Millimeter-Wave Era

TL;DR

Wi-Fi faces spectrum constraints in the 6 GHz band and rising demands for VR/AR-ready wireless links. The paper proposes integrating millimeter-wave technology into Wi-Fi 8 by reusing lower-band PHYs within a Multi-Link Operation framework and evaluating feasibility through system-level simulations that upclock an 802.11ac PPDU to 60 GHz. It contributes design guidance for MAPC and seamless roaming, and discusses potential Wi‑Fi 8E certification with an emphasis on a mostly single-user mmWave operation to control complexity. Overall, the results indicate that integrated mmWave is feasible and beneficial for high-density, high-throughput wireless networks, outlining a practical path for next-generation Wi-Fi adoption.

Abstract

With the increasing demands in communication, Wi-Fi technology is advancing towards its next generation. As high-need applications like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) emerge, the role of millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology becomes critical. This paper explores Wi-Fi 8's potential features, especially its integration of mmWave technology. We address the challenges of implementing mmWave under current protocols and examine the compatibility of new features with mmWave. Our study includes system-level simulations, upclocking the 802.11ac PPDU to 60 GHz, and considers hardware limitations. The results demonstrate significant performance improvements with mmWave in Wi-Fi 8, indicating its feasibility for high-demand wireless scenarios.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Illustration of Wi-Fi technology evolution.
• Figure 2: Comparative Overview of MLD Level Roaming, Link Level Roaming, and Multi-Link Architecture