• Next-generation Wi-Fi 8 prioritizes predictability and reliability over raw speed
• Broadcom has announced Wi-Fi 8 chips for home, enterprise and edge uses
• Chip maker is also opening its Wi-Fi 8 platform to drive AI edge adoption

Broadcom has taken the wraps off a new family of Wi-Fi 8 chips that it says will underpin the next generation of intelligent wireless connectivity.

The chip maker is building an ecosystem that supports AI-driven devices at the network edge, covering everything from residential gateways to enterprise access points and connected vehicles.

As we’ve written previously, Wi-Fi 8 represents a new direction for wireless technology, as where earlier standards chased ever faster peak speeds, Wi-Fi 8 is more about reliability, latency, and the ability to maintain performance even when facing heavy demands.

Modern networks are no longer just about data downloads but rather handling a mix of voice, video, sensor data, and machine learning workloads that need to travel both ways, and with minimal delay.

Broadcom’s new Wi-Fi 8 chips – BCM6718 for home networks, BCM43840 and BCM43820 for enterprise use, and BCM43109 for edge wireless clients such as smartphones, laptops and automotive – are built around a telemetry engine that constantly measures network behavior.

This engine will make Wi-Fi more responsive, helping networks adapt in real time as devices move or signal conditions change.

Mark Gonikberg, senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom’s Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division, said, “Wi-Fi 8 represents a fundamental shift in how we approach wireless broadband. The transition to the ‘AI era’ demands networks that are fast, smart, adaptive, and deeply reliable. Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 products are meticulously engineered to provide the AI-ready, high-performance, low-latency, and predictability that the modern AI edge demands.”

The company is seeking to make its offerings even more appealing to partners.

“We are taking this up a notch by offering our industry-best Wi-Fi 8 solutions to the broader industry through flexible licensing options to accelerate the proliferation of Edge AI,” Gonikberg said.

In licensing its intellectual property, Broadcom is looking to drive an open, AI-aware platform that will scale faster thanks to a wider base of compatible devices.

As Kevin Robinson, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, puts it, “Wi-Fi 8 will usher in the next era of high-performance connectivity, enabling more advanced applications, immersive experiences, and ultra-reliable, multi-gigabit connectivity for users worldwide. Broadcom’s early innovation helps accelerate the ecosystem and ensures that Wi-Fi continues to be a strong, reliable foundation for connectivity.”

Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 chips are currently being sampled to select partners.

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Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.