For decades, Wi-Fi innovation has largely focused on increasing peak speeds and efficiency, supporting the growing number of connected devices in our homes, workplaces and public spaces.

But the role of Wi-Fi is changing.

As digital experiences become more immersive, intelligent and interactive, wireless networks must evolve beyond simply being ‘fast enough’. The next generation of Wi-Fi needs to support applications where responsiveness, reliability and predictability are just as critical as speed. We believe the next step in Wi-Fi evolution is clear.

What Wi-Fi 9 must deliver
Wi-Fi 9 will focus on real-world performance, not just theoretical peak speeds. This includes:

• Multi-gigabit speeds that users actually experience on their smartphones, XR-devices and laptops to fully utilise next-generation fibre broadband connections.

• Predictable and reliable connectivity, particularly for emerging use cases like immersive media, robotics and tactile interaction where delays beyond 10ms and packet loss cannot be tolerated.

• High performance in dense environments, supporting dozens of connected devices simultaneously running real-time and high-bandwidth applications.

• Improved energy efficiency, ensuring higher performance does not come at the cost of increased power consumption for mobile devices and access points.

Together, these capabilities would allow Wi-Fi to support a new generation of digital services that depend on instant, seamless connectivity.

A new era of wireless connectivity
Wireless connectivity is entering a new phase.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how devices operate and interact. Autonomous systems, connected robots and intelligent devices will rely on wireless networks to exchange data and make decisions in real time.

At the same time, immersive technologies like augmented and virtual reality are also moving closer to the mainstream, demanding networks capable of delivering extremely responsive interactions and consistently high performance. Together with AI they will drive the growth in internet traffic as outlined in our recent Global network traffic report

Expectations around connectivity are rising as well. As 10Gbps and even 25 Gbps next generation fibre broadband becomes more widely available, early adopters increasingly expect to experience those speeds – and the same level of responsiveness – across their devices over Wi-Fi.

Where Wi-Fi 9 can have the biggest impact
The impact of Wi-Fi 9 will be felt in the digital experiences people rely on every day.

Imagine joining a virtual meeting where colleagues appear as life-like avatars around a shared workspace or collaborating in a real-time 3D environment where every gesture and interaction happens instantly.

Next-generation AR and VR collaboration tools, cloud gaming platforms and real-time 3D environments depend on wireless networks capable of delivering extremely high speeds of more than 100Mbps per device, consistent ultra-low sub-5ms latency and consistent performance, exactly the capabilities Wi-Fi 9 should be designed to deliver.

Other emerging applications will place additional demands on wireless networks.

For example, tactile and haptic technologies allow users to receive physical feedback while interacting with digital system. But for these interactions to feel natural, the network must transmit feedback instantly and reliably at unpredictable moments both to and from devices even when the network is fully loaded.

In these scenarios, the quality and responsiveness of the wireless connection become just as important as raw speed.

Recommended reading

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• Organisations Struggle to Cope with Shadow AI

Shaping the next generation of Wi-Fi
We are bringing this vision into industry discussions as the Wi-Fi ecosystem gathers to explore what comes beyond IEEE 802.11bn, the upcoming Wi-Fi 8 generation currently under development.

We are calling for early alignment across the industry around clear performance goals and use-case-driven requirements, ensuring that the next generation of Wi-Fi evolves alongside fibre broadband and future 6G networks. Close coordination across wireless and wireline technologies will be essential to deliver consistent, predictable performance across environments.

Wi‑Fi will also continue to evolve as part of a broader wireless ecosystem. Future Wi‑Fi generations will work alongside 6G and other wide‑area wireless technologies, with each technology optimised for different environments and use cases. Together, they will underpin the immersive, intelligent and real‑time experiences now beginning to emerge.

By setting out this vision now, our aim is to help guide the next phase of wireless innovation – ensuring future wireless networks can support the immersive, intelligent and real-time experiences that will define the next era of digital connectivity.