Enterprise class WiFi 8 introduction may be brought forward to 2027 so vendors can circumvent the lack of DDR4 memory chips, according to report from Dell’Oro Group.

“With prices rising, we expect triple-digit growth in WiFi 7 revenue in 2026,” says Siân Morgan, senior director at Dell’Oro Group.

“WiFi 7 still has strong potential.  In its peak year, we expect enterprise class WiFi 7 to generate more revenue than WiFi 6E did across its entire lifecycle.

“But the faster vendors can change AP designs to decrease dependency on the highest-cost memory components, the more competitive they can be pricewise. This represents a strong incentive to move to WiFi 8,” continued Morgan.

Additional highlights from the Wireless LAN 5-Year July 2026 Forecast Report include:

  • WiFi 7 revenue growth will continue for a further three years.
  • Public cloud-managed WLAN will continue to grow faster than the total market.
  • AIOps features are driving software revenue higher, and enterprise willingness to pay is evident in the data.
  • WLAN market revenue growth is expected, even if higher prices suppress some demand.