Broadcom Inc. launches BCM4918 Wi‑Fi 8 platform

Broadcom Inc. introduced a unified Wi‑Fi 8 hardware platform that combined a new BCM4918 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) with two dual‑band radios, a release said, and the company positioned the portfolio as providing the performance and uptime operators needed to support next‑generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in the home.

Broadcom described the platform as allowing operators to deliver real‑time agentic applications for residential consumers with built‑in security and improved power efficiency, and it noted that OEMs and service providers could assemble the components into tri‑band configurations.

At the center of the announcement was the BCM4918 APU, a system‑on‑chip that combined a Central Processing Unit (CPU) complex for general‑purpose workloads, an integrated Broadcom Neural Engine for on‑device AI/ML inference, networking engines that offloaded wired and wireless data paths, integrated cryptographic protocol acceleration for end‑to‑end protection, and multi‑gigabit Ethernet interfaces.

Broadcom also released two dual‑band Wi‑Fi 8 devices, the BCM6714 and BCM6719, each integrating 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios into single silicon; the radios included on‑chip 2.4 GHz power amplifiers, a hardware‑assisted telemetry engine introduced with the BCM6718, eco‑modes for power optimization, and third‑generation digital pre‑distortion that reduced peak power by 25 percent.

“Wi‑Fi 8 represents a turning point for the industry—where broadband, connectivity, compute, and intelligence truly converge,” said Mark Gonikberg, senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom’s Wireless and Broadband Communications Division. “Our new BCM4918 APU, along with our full portfolio of Wi‑Fi 8 chipsets, form the foundation of an AI‑ready platform that not only enables immersive, intelligent user experiences but also does so with efficiency, security, and sustainability at its core.”

Samples of the BCM4918 APU, BCM6714, and BCM6719 were made available to early access customers and partners, and Broadcom directed interested parties to contact local sales representatives for samples and pricing.