Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) MCS Table: Complete Reference Guide

Introduction : In Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn), the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) strategy shifts away from simply “going faster” to “being more reliable.” Unlike Wi-Fi 7, which introduced 4096-QAM to break speed records, Wi-Fi 8 maintains the same peak modulation but introduces four new intermediate MCS levels. These new levels are designed to fill the “sensitivity gaps” between existing levels. Let us explore Wi-Fi 8 MCS table including additions made.

Why Wi-Fi 8 introduced new MCS levels

In legacy versions (Wi-Fi 6/7), the jump in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) required to move from one MCS level to the next could be more than 3 dB.

Problem: If a device’s signal was “almost” good enough for a higher speed, but not quite, it was forced to stay at a much lower speed.

Wi-Fi 8 Solution: By adding MCS 17, 19, 20, and 23, Wi-Fi 8 provides finer granularity. This allows the “Rate Adaptation” algorithm to pick a speed that perfectly matches the current signal quality, improving overall throughput and reducing packet drops.

Wi-Fi 8 MCS Table as defined in IEEE 802.11bn

The folloging table includes the legacy Wi-Fi 7 (EHT) values and the newly introduced Wi-Fi 8 (UHR) “gap-filler” levels.

• To remain backward compatible with Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8 uses a 5-bit signaling field for the MCS.
• Bit 5 (MSB) = 0: The hardware interprets the remaining 4 bits as the legacy Wi-Fi 7 MCS (0–15).
• Bit 5 (MSB) = 1: The hardware identifies it as a new Wi-Fi 8 UHR MCS level.

Summary : Major Points

• Peak Speed: Wi-Fi 8 doesn’t have a higher “top speed” than Wi-Fi 7 (both peak at MCS 13 with 4096-QAM).
• The “Gap” Logic: Notice where the new levels are placed. For example, MCS 20 (16-QAM 5/6) sits exactly between 16-QAM 3/4 and 64-QAM 2/3.
• Better Adaptation: Devices will now “stutter” less when moving away from a router, as they have more intermediate steps to downshift through.

References

1. EEE P802.11bn/D1.0: Amendment 6: Enhancements for ultra-high reliability (UHR).
2. Rohde & Schwarz White Paper: Setting new performance standards with IEEE 802.11bn (Version 02.00, 2026).
3. IEEE Project Authorization Request (PAR): Amendment to IEEE Standard 802.11-2020 – Ultra-High Reliability.