Have you heard of IEEE 802.11bx (sometimes written as 802.11bX)?
➡️ Based on a European reseller, 802.11bx is WiFi7.
➡️ In a Wi-Fi Now article, it’s Wi-Fi 8.
➡️ And based on the latest information, it’s what will later become Wi-Fi 9.
❓Confused?
⁉️So was I some time ago.
To my understanding, it’s nothing more than a placeholder to reference the next working group while the „official“ name is not yet defined.
A long time ago, 11bx was, what became 802.11be.
Then 11bx became what was later decided to become 802.11bn.
And now, 802.11bx is what will become the next PHY after 802.11bn.
Based on that, IMO 802.11bx (or 802.11bX) should better not be used outside IEEE to describe a technology, as the meaning changes over time. And that causes too much confusion in the field.
It’s not as bad as using „Next Generation“ in a name. But still too confusing.
And a question for the Wi-Fi veterans: Has there been something like that before 11be? Obviously it was not 802.11aX …
(This blog post is based on my 50 Days of LinkedIn post number 38)