Wi-Fi to Get an Upgrade – 10 Times Faster

We’ve all dreamed of the day when there is no longer a need for that web of wires behind our TVs or our computer desks. Wi-Fi transfer speeds right now top out at around 150Mbps with 802.11n, however, the Wi-Fi Alliance wants to take it a step further; 10 steps in-fact. In an agreement to license the 60 Ghz band speeds are said to increase to 1Gbps to 6 Gbps. There is, unfortunately, one big road block…those walls in your house.

“The 60 GHz is like a beam of light — you have to have line of sight — but you can get multi-gigabit point-to point networking speeds with it,” says Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Although the 60-Ghz spectrum isn’t able to creep through your walls like the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands; it does allow for some interesting concepts. Manufactures have already began drumming up ideas to connect Blu-ray to your TV wirelessly. Some other ideas may include: gaming consoles,  surround sound systems, and obviously high demand computer work-groups.

Before now the hi-speed standards were split. It mirrors the battle of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.  With many industry leaders excited about the consolidation of Wi-Fi standards it offers a way for the industry to focus on the use of the technology rather than contemplating what technology to implement. Figueroa hopes to see the technology go mainstream in the next two years.