This looks cumbersome, but I have a similar situation with my Wi-Fi card and Fedora template. However, the Intel webpage also links kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git - Repository of firmware blobs for use with the Linux kernel (see the note above the table) as a source for newer versions.
I remember some issues with Wi-Fi in a minimal template (not sure if Debian or Fedora). Finally, I concluded it was not worth the hassle. This is the reason why I suggest trying some other template, even if it is not the preferred solution in long-term.
Regards,
Vít Šesták ‘v6ak’