Next-gen Wifi Set to Drive Mobility for Genx
Mobile and Video Generation is always looking at freedom (mobility) and rich media content, and Wifi’s next gen standard is pushing forward both these factors for Genx
As the end customers look for mobility and ease of use, WiFi is set to gain further momentum. If we look at the standards, the next gen WiFi - IEEE 802.11ac is the fifth generation in Wi-Fi networking standards and is set to bring fast, high quality video streaming and nearly instantaneous data syncing and backup to the convergence friendly devices like tablets, notebooks, and smart phones or mobiles that have become an integral part of the end customer’s lifestyle now.
IEEE 802.11ac is a wireless computer networking standard of 802.11 currently under development which will provide high throughput Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) on the 5 GHz band). This standard is likely to hit the markets by the end of year 2012.
Once it finds its way, entry level IEEE 802.11ac products will provide a data rate of 433 Mbps, which should be at least three times faster than that of the most common devices using the current wireless standard.
And because the new standard gives device manufacturers the flexibility to offer a range of products with different levels of performance, once in action, high-speed IEEE 802.11ac devices will offer wireless transmission in excess of a Gigabit per second—remarkable speeds that can put IEEE 802.11ac wireless networks ahead of most wired networks of present scenario.
In addition to this, there will be huge improvements in wireless connectivity quality, reliability, range, and coverage. In the present scenario, there are many places where we still find dead spots – where there is very little WiFi connectivity. Homes and apartments now plagued with “dead spots” will enjoy vastly improved reception. And most importantly, faster file transfer also leads to longer battery life in smartphones and handsets.
What is most important is the fact that products based on IEEE 802.11ac will be fully compatible with current WiFi devices. Delivering true mobility and driving convergence, mobile phones and tablets, both very important for Wi-Fi markets are likely to ship with IEEE 802.11ac chips by 2013.
WiFi next gen standard, IEEE 802.11ac is the fifth generation of Wi-Fi to come along since Wi-Fi was introduced way back in the year 1997. The roll-out of new IEEE 802.11ac standard based devices is expected to take between one and three years, beginning first with home networking products and then working its way to other products as manufacturing costs will decline further down. And by the year 2015, virtually all Wi-Fi products are expected to be based on IEEE 802.11ac technology.
Omnipresent WiFi
Today we have huge penetration of WiFi technology as a lot of places of our convenience drive connectivity with the help of WiFi technology. So whether we go to our office, or home, a restaurant, hotels etc – WiFi works just a fabric connecting all the devices together.
And knowingly or unknowingly, it has become an integral part of our lives. We look out for wireless connectivity more and more because we’re using it more and more and not just for work and e-mail but also during our leisure time. Between office work, college or school assignments, and simple entertainment, downloading rich content at all hours of the day and night, the average household has several WiFi devices running simultaneously.
However, on the other hand, the Wi-Fi technology we use today is over three years old, and it is not possible for this generation of WiFi to keep up with the increasing data load and demanding end customer’s mindsets. As mobile phones, tablets, and notebooks are creating new demands for faster and more reliable wireless connectivity everywhere and all the time. And hence, next generation ready WiFi standard of IEEE 802.11ac will hold the answer to GenX demands and fulfillment.