With Wi-Fi 8 certification still years away, some in the industry question whether the technology’s CES prominence is premature
While some companies, including Acer and TP-Link, had Wi-Fi 7 news to share, Wi-Fi 8 made a notable showing at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, despite certification still being years away and Wi-Fi 7 adoption still in progress. Below are several key wireless announcements from the show, most of which centered on Wi-Fi 8.
Broadcom launches unified Wi-Fi 8 platform
Broadcom used CES to expand on its Wi-Fi 8 roadmap following the October 2025 launch of its first Wi-Fi 8 product, the BCM6718 chipset. At the show, the company announced the BCM4918 accelerated processing unit (APU), along with two new dual-band Wi-Fi 8 devices, the BCM6714 and BCM6719.
The company described the announcements as the next step in its strategy to “define the next generation of wireless performance, intelligence, and efficiency.” According to Broadcom, the platform combines compute acceleration, advanced networking, and security to support high throughput, low latency, and intelligent optimization for emerging AI-driven connectivity use cases.
Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 platform reflects a broader shift toward embedding AI and networking functions directly into edge silicon. At its core, the BCM4918 APU combines general-purpose compute, on-device AI inference, networking offload, and security acceleration, signaling that future Wi-Fi platforms are being designed as intelligent edge systems rather than simple connectivity chips.
Supporting that strategy are Broadcom’s BCM6714 and BCM6719 dual-band Wi-Fi 8 radios, which prioritize integration and efficiency over raw throughput gains. By consolidating 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios, embedding telemetry, and reducing power consumption, the devices are positioned to support AI-driven network optimization, improved reliability, and lower operational complexity — key requirements as Wi-Fi networks increasingly serve latency-sensitive and automated applications.
MediaTek intros Wi-Fi 8 platform
MediaTek also used CES to introduce its Wi-Fi 8 roadmap, unveiling the Filogic 8000 family. The company said the platform is designed to support AI-driven products and applications while delivering ultra-high reliability across a range of product categories, including gateways and client devices.
MediaTek’s Wi-Fi 8 demonstrations at CES 2026 reflect growing demand for more reliable wireless connectivity as AI-driven and latency-sensitive applications expand. The company’s Filogic 8000 series targets this shift by supporting both gateways and client devices, extending an innovation cadence established during the Wi-Fi 7 cycle.
The MediaTek Filogic 8000 series of products will cater to premium and flagship devices leveraging Wi-Fi 8 technology, with the first chipset expected to reach customers later this year. The company is working alongside partners including Deutsche Telekom, Airties, SoftAtHome, Zyxel, and others.
ASUS showcases real-world Wi-Fi 8 performance
ASUS showcased its Wi-Fi 8 ambitions with the debut of the ROG NeoCore, a Wi-Fi 8 concept router, alongside what it described as the world’s first real-world Wi-Fi 8 throughput test. The company said the test demonstrated tangible performance improvements in real-world environments rather than theoretical benchmarks.
According to ASUS, its testing showed that while peak theoretical data rates remain unchanged, Wi-Fi 8 can deliver meaningful gains in practice. Compared to Wi-Fi 7, ASUS said Wi-Fi 8 achieved up to 2× higher mid-range throughput, 2× wider IoT coverage, and up to 6× lower P99 latency through smarter multi-AP and multi-client operation.
ASUS Networking plans to release its first lineup of Wi-Fi 8 home routers and mesh systems in 2026. The products will be powered by ASUS AiMesh technology and the ASUS AI Network Engine, which the company says are designed to support more responsive, reliable wireless performance as AI-driven applications proliferate.
Bonus: Not Wi-Fi 8 — Vision Inc. launches “Global WiFi”
Beyond Wi-Fi 8, Japan-based Vision Inc. used CES to unveil a new connectivity concept called “Orchestrating Global Connectivity.” Under its Global WiFi brand, the company said the platform dynamically integrates multiple technologies to deliver seamless, secure connectivity for international travelers and businesses.
Unlike traditional offerings centered on either Wi-Fi hotspots or eSIMs, Vision said its platform acts as a central orchestrator, managing connectivity through four core pillars: eSIM integration, cloud-native Wi-Fi, hyper-local connectivity via more than 300 carriers in over 160 countries, and unified control through a single management dashboard.
Too early for Wi-Fi 8?
With Wi-Fi 8 certification still years away, some in the industry question whether the technology’s CES prominence is premature. Many view 2026 — particularly in North America)— as a pivotal year for Wi-Fi 7 adoption, with a more material surge in Wi-Fi 8 products unlikely before late 2027.
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