Nokia shares vision for WiFi 9, these are its promises

Finnish telecom giant Nokia has shared a vision for the ninth generation of wireless communication, or WiFi 9, even before WiFi 8. It’s heavily focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and would bring AI-backed digital experiences, according to the telco gear maker. These ideas have been discussed in industry discussions on technology beyond IEEE 802.11bn (WiFi 8).

Nokia believes that WiFi 9 will support “real-time, immersive and AI-driven digital experiences”.

Klaus Doppler, head of the Wi-Fi Research Centre of Excellence at Nokia, also argues that “the role of Wi-Fi is changing”. So, he opines that wireless networks should be more than just being fast enough. Doppler opines that the approach to treat wireless networks now should change with digital practices becoming more immersive, intelligent, and interactive.

So far, we have WiFi 7. And so far, only flagship phones come with support for it. Even WiFi 8 is not in the works. But the gist? Technology doesn’t always run in a linear timeline. Innovative ideas and premises are necessary before work begins on a particular technology.

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WiFi 9 promises

Doppler states that WiFi 9 should focus on key areas such as:

• Multi-gigabit speeds: WiFi 9 should ensure multi-gigabit speeds for smartphones, XR devices, and laptops.
• Reliable connectivity: The next-generation WiFi technology should be predictable and reliable, especially for uses in media, robotics, and tactile interaction, where “packet loss cannot be tolerated.”
• Extremely capable: Regardless of network congestion or high user volume, it must deliver. The network should support dozens of connected devices simultaneously in real-time and high-bandwidth applications.
• Energy efficient: WiFi 9 should be energy efficient and ensure high performance. Doppler maintains that the network should ensure that higher performance doesn’t involve higher power consumption on smartphones and access points.

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WiFi enters a new era with WiFi 9

Doppler declares that wireless connectivity is entering a new phase with next-gen wireless technologies. And he puts emphasis on the growth of AI. He believes that AI is going to be central to our digital life. Besides, connected robots and intelligent devices will rely heavily on WiFi to exchange data.

At the same time, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are coming into the mainstream. So, Doppler states, as 10 Gbps to 25 Gbps fiber connections become more widely available, early WiFi 9 adopters will expect to use that speed.

As of now, developments are underway for WiFi 8. That means WiFi 9 is a good number of years from us. However, conceptual works are already starting on this technology. One thing is sure. There is a strong zeal to bring multi-gigabit speeds to users, along with AI use cases in mind.