Wi-Fi 8 обіцяє вдвічі швидший інтернет: що відомо про новий стандарт
This was announced during Qualcomm's briefing ahead of Mobile World Congress 2026.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026) in Barcelona, Qualcomm unveiled new wireless technologies, including the FastConnect 8800 chip with Wi-Fi 8 support.
According to the company, the new chip will support data transfer speeds of up to 11.6 Gbps. This is approximately twice as fast as the previous generation of FastConnect chips.
A significant increase in Wi-Fi coverage is also expected — up to three times compared to the previous generation.
FastConnect 8800 integrates several wireless technologies at once. In addition to Wi-Fi 8, it supports Bluetooth 7 with data transfer speeds of up to 7.5 Mbps, as well as new versions of the Ultra Wide Band (802.15.4ab) and Thread 1.5 standards.
Qualcomm noted that the new chip will have built-in artificial intelligence support.
AI will be used to optimise various wireless connections and determine the distance between devices, which can improve connection stability.
FastConnect 8800 will be the first mobile chip to support 4×4 Wi-Fi architecture. Previous generations used a 2×2 configuration.
The new Wi-Fi 8 standard, known by its technical name 802.11bn, is focused not only on maximum speed, but also on stable network performance in challenging conditions.
According to Qualcomm, the technology should provide a stable connection with low latency even in congested or mobile environments.
However, the Wi-Fi 8 standard has not yet been finalised. It is expected that this may only happen in 2028.
The company said that FastConnect 8800 chips are already being tested by partners.
The first commercial devices with the new standard may appear at the end of 2026.
At the same time, routers with Wi-Fi 8 support will be required for the new technology to function fully.
Until they appear, the chip will work with existing Wi-Fi standards, including Wi-Fi 7.
