INNOVATIONS UNPLUGGED – the Rohde & Schwarz technology podcast · Rohde & Schwarz

[MWC2026 special] From fridge to factory: Can Wi-Fi handle 1,000 routers?

·25 min

Röde & Schwarz Product Manager Günther Pfeiffer explains Wi-Fi 8 to lay audiences at Mobile World Congress 2026. Key insights: (1) Wi-Fi and wireless LAN are the same technology; the brand name was marketing, (2) 21 billion IoT devices depend primarily on Wi-Fi—more than cellular combined, (3) 70-80% of data traffic globally is Wi-Fi despite perception of cellular dominance, (4) Backward compatibility across generations is Wi-Fi's competitive advantage over cellular, (5) Wi-Fi 8's innovation focus is reliability, not speed, marking a generational shift in priorities.

As heard by us

A grounded look at why Wi-Fi gets harder when more devices and higher reliability demands enter the picture.

This episode treats Wi-Fi as something larger than a background utility, asking what changes when it has to cope with crowded venues, airport traffic, and factory settings where robots and other devices are all competing for access.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the real-world stakes behind Wi-Fi 8, not a spec-sheet victory lap.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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