Jeongki Kim
Technical Director, Senior Principal Engineer

Leonardo Lanante
Manager, Principal Engineer

Serhat Erkucuk
Manager, Senior Staff Engineer

Mrugen Deshmukh
Senior Engineer

Javier Perez-Ramirez
Staff Engineer

Jiayi Zhang
Staff Engineer

Overview

The November IEEE 802.11 plenary in Bangkok signaled a clear shift in next-generation Wi-Fi work. For 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8), the group is now deep in the consolidation phase—moving from feature definition to the painstaking work of comment resolution and text refinement. Meanwhile, 802.11bq (Integrated Millimeter Wave / IMMW), which targets high-throughput, short-range Wi-Fi using mmWave bands, is progressing through foundational architectural decisions that will determine how high-frequency Wi-Fi systems evolve.

Unlike earlier meetings centered on ambitious technical proposals, this session reflected a more grounded objective: tightening specifications, eliminating ambiguity, and anchoring architectures to what is practically deployable. Early architectural assumptions—what must be fixed and what can still move—are becoming clearer.

Key Takeaways from the IEEE 802.11 Meeting

1. Wi-Fi 8 Enters Its Consolidation Phase as IMMW Architecture Takes Shape

TGbn spent the bulk of the meeting resolving ballot comments on early draft text. Large volumes of editorial issues were addressed, clearing the way for more substantial technical decisions, particularly in the MAC (Media Access Control) layer, to move forward.

This phase is demanding but decisive. It is where protocol behavior stops shifting and begins stabilizing across vendors.

Why It Matters:
Within Wi-Fi 8, meaningful influence is achieved through defining the wording, boundaries, and interoperability of proposals. Contributors who remain active throughout comment resolution play a significantly greater role in determining the final outcome than those who join only near the end.

2. Integrated Millimeter Wave Is Beginning to Take Architectural Shape

TGbq made quiet but meaningful progress. The group agreed on key PHY (Physical Layer) parameters, including supported bandwidths, and aligned on using hybrid architectures where IMMW devices pair a millimeter-wave radio with a sub-7 GHz radio. The MAC approach is also coming into focus, with the group favoring reuse of proven mechanisms from earlier standards (such as IEEE 802.11be and 802.11ad/ay) rather than introducing entirely new coordination behavior. These decisions indicate that IMMW is becoming a natural extension of existing Wi-Fi design principles.

Why It Matters:
At this stage, TGbq remains less crowded than Wi-Fi 8 work, and foundational architectural decisions are still being formed. Participation during this phase can meaningfully shape how IMMW systems evolve over time.

3. Standards Momentum Has Shifted Toward Deployability, Not Novelty

Across task groups, the tone of the meeting emphasized what can be implemented consistently, not what is theoretically elegant. Sessions favored:

• reusing existing MAC constructs,
• minimizing new signaling overhead,
• clarifying device behavior, and
• selecting parameters that enable scalable hardware.

This mirrors broader trends across mature standards: success is measured by clean integration, power efficiency, and interoperability, not by feature count.

Why It Matters:
Proposals that introduce complexity without a clear advantage in deployment are losing traction. The focus of work in IEEE 802.11 work is now on architectural restraint and system-level efficiency.

4. Ofinno’s Opportunity Space Is Expanding in Targeted Areas

While Wi-Fi 8 work has entered a text-tightening phase, IMMW discussions remain focused on early architectural definition. Ofinno’s leadership roles in TGbn MAC sessions and active technical contributions in both groups reinforce credibility exactly when influence is determined by consistent presence rather than headline proposals.

Why It Matters:
This is a leverage point. As TGbq decisions solidify over the next few cycles, contributors who are engaged now will disproportionately shape long-term IMMW behavior and compatibility.

Signals to Watch Going Into 2026

Several themes are likely to define the next stages of IEEE 802.11 work:

• Wi-Fi 8 technical issues will intensify. With editorial cleanup largely complete, MAC-layer behavior and advanced PHY features will move to the foreground.
• IMMW activity is expected to increase as Wi-Fi 8 work moves toward completion, bringing broader participation and faster convergence in TGbq discussions.
• Wi-Fi 9 discussions will surface in early 2026, though the true scope definition remains several cycles away.

The Bottom Line for Practitioners

For teams building or contributing to next-generation Wi-Fi technologies, the direction is clear:

• Treat Wi-Fi 8 as entering its stabilization phase. Precision matters more than invention.
• Account for IMMW architectural decisions as they are defined over the coming cycles.
• Favor simplicity and interoperability over bespoke optimizations.
• Build for real deployment. The standards momentum is toward what vendors can ship, not what they can simulate.

IEEE 802.11 work is entering a period where architecture is being locked in, not explored. The contributors showing up now will shape the Wi-Fi landscape for the next decade.