Broadcom is already expanding its "Wi-Fi 8-ready" silicon line, debuting new access point and switch solutions for a standard that won’t be finalized until at least 2028.

Adding to hardware showcased last December, and a processor line targeting AI applications in the home revealed at CES, Broadcom’s latest Wi-Fi 8 line is the BCM49438 accelerated processing unit (APU).

If the APU name seems somewhat familiar, it’s an AMD-coined term for a chip that brings together a CPU and GPU, like the Instinct MI300A. Broadcom’s answer to an APU then is touted as a means to “optimize wireless networking and AI acceleration at the enterprise edge.”

Supporting the Wi-Fi 8-ready APU is the Trident X3+ BCM56390 Ethernet switch, which features up to 48 multigigabit ports, making it suitable for high-density Wi-Fi 8 deployments.

In addition to supporting next-gen Wi-Fi standards, Broadcom claims its latest switch is the first to implement media access control security (MACsec) – the network security standard operating at the data link layer to secure data privacy and integrity for protocols without needing a connection.

Broadcom claimed the combined offerings “form a unified architecture that maximizes the performance, efficiency, and security for the Wi-Fi 8 wireless network in the enterprise.”

“As enterprises increasingly rely on AI for critical operations and security, the demand for a robust, intelligent, and secure network infrastructure has never been greater,” Mark Gonikberg, SVP and GM of Broadcom’s Wireless and Broadband Communications Division, explained. “Our new end-to-end solution for enterprise Wi-Fi and switching, incorporating Wi-Fi 8, multigigabit Ethernet, and edge AI capabilities, provides the essential foundation for organizations to navigate risk and thrive in the AI era.”

Both Wi-Fi 8 solutions are being sampled by Broadcom’s early access customers and partners.

The announcement marks yet another notch on the road to Wi-Fi 8, which looks to be a long and winding one considering the final approval for the designation won’t take place until sometime in late 2028. Wi-Fi 7 was only signed off in 2024.

But vendors saying something is standard-compliant before said standard has been ratified is nothing new, with Broadcom having done the same for Wi-Fi 7 with a related line of chips debuted back in 2023.