What will Wi-Fi 8 Be? A Primer on IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability

What will Wi-Fi 8 be? Driven by the strict requirements of emerging applications, next-generation Wi-Fi is set to prioritize ultra high reliability (UHR) above all. In this article, we explore the journey toward IEEE 802.11 bn UHR, the amendment that will form the basis of Wi-Fi 8. We first present new use cases calling for further Wi-Fi evolution and associated standardization, certification, and spectrum allocation efforts. We then introduce a selection of the main disruptive features envisioned for Wi-Fi 8 and their associated research challenges, resulting from the outcome of the UHR Study Group. Among those, we focus on Multi Access Point Coordination and demonstrate that it could build upon 802.11 be multi-link operation to make UHR a reality in Wi-Fi 8.