Skip to content

IEEE 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn — Evolution at a Glance

1. IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E)

  • Focus: Efficiency, capacity, dense environments.
  • Core Innovations:
  • OFDMA (first Wi-Fi use, uplink and downlink): Efficient spectrum sharing.
  • 1024-QAM: Higher data rates.
  • Target Wake Time (TWT): Power saving for IoT.
  • Up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth, up to 8 spatial streams.
  • Works on 2.4/5/6 GHz (6E).
  • Goal: Improve network efficiency and user experience in high-density scenarios.

2. IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7, EHT)

  • What’s Extended:
  • Higher bandwidth: Up to 320 MHz (2x of 11ax).
  • Higher modulation: 4096-QAM (4K QAM, up from 1024-QAM).
  • MRU (Multiple Resource Units): More flexible spectrum allocation.
  • Restricted TWT: More precise latency control for real-time apps.
  • What’s Totally New:
  • Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Devices (MLDs) can transmit/receive simultaneously over multiple bands (2.4/5/6 GHz).
    • Result: Higher throughput, lower latency, robust failover/load balancing.
  • Enhanced peer-to-peer & emergency comms.
  • Performance Leap:
  • Maximum PHY rate: Up to 23 Gbps (2.4x 11ax),
  • At least one mode capable of 30 Gbps at the MAC layer.
  • Summary:
  • Main leap: Speed, simultaneous multi-band operation, flexible resource allocation.
  • Introduced MLO for the first time in Wi-Fi.

3. IEEE 802.11bn (UHR: Ultra High Reliability, In Progress)

  • What’s Extended:
  • Builds on 11be’s Multi-Link Operation for even higher reliability.
  • What’s Totally New:
  • Multi-AP Coordination:
    • Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR): APs coordinate power and scheduling to reduce interference.
    • Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF): APs align beams/nulls to serve users interference-free.
    • Joint Transmission (JT): Multiple APs transmit same data for redundancy/coverage.
  • Distributed Resource Units (dRU): Redundant, flexible subcarrier assignment.
  • Advanced latency control: Handles both periodic and sporadic low-latency traffic; adds preemption and buffer reporting.
  • Extended power saving, security, relay/mesh coverage.
  • Potential for 60 GHz (mmWave) under study.
  • Performance Target:
  • 25% better reliability (latency, packet loss, throughput consistency) than 11be.
  • Business/Industrial Focus:
  • For automation, robotics, smart agriculture, logistics—where reliability is mission critical.
  • Timeline:
  • Standard expected May 2028.
  • Summary Statement for Interview:
  • 802.11bn shifts the focus from raw speed (11be) to reliability, network coordination, and deterministic performance, especially for industrial/business use.

Evolution Table (At a Glance)

Feature 11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E) 11be (Wi-Fi 7) 11bn (UHR, In Progress)
PHY Bandwidth Up to 160 MHz Up to 320 MHz Same, with advanced usage
Max Modulation 1024-QAM 4096-QAM Same
Max Streams 8 16 (TBD, focus on reliability)
Multi-Link Operation ❌ No ✅ Yes (NEW in 11be) ✅ Extended, even more robust
Multi-AP Coordination ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes (NEW in 11bn)
Distributed RUs ❌ No MRU ✅ dRU (NEW in 11bn)
Ultra Reliability ❌ No Preliminary (TWT) ✅ Main Focus
Industrial Use Basic Improved ✅ Targeted

How to Answer “What’s New in Each Version?” in an Interview

  • 11ax:
    “Introduced OFDMA and 1024-QAM, making Wi-Fi efficient in dense deployments. First with Target Wake Time (TWT) for IoT power saving.”
  • 11be:
    “Built on 11ax by doubling bandwidth and adding 4096-QAM, but the game-changer was Multi-Link Operation (MLO)—the first time a Wi-Fi device could use multiple bands/links at once for speed and reliability.”
  • 11bn:
    “Extends MLO, but its big leap is Multi-AP Coordination, making multiple APs work together (for interference reduction, beamforming, and joint transmission), plus even more advanced latency and reliability features for business/industrial use.”

Reference:
NTT Technical Review, Vol. 22, No. 2, Feb. 2024: "Standardization Trends in IEEE 802.11be/bn" by Akira Kishida.

_Last updated: June 06, 2025