The IEEE 802.11n working group earlier this month voted down draft 1.0 of the proposed standard for higher throughput improvements, sparking debate about whether the vote was a dramatic defeat or an expected speed bump.
Draft 1.0 of the measure fell well short of the 75-percent super majority needed for acceptance, garnering only 46.6 percent of the vote. A task group has been charged with reviewing submitted comments on the standard.
The 802.11n standard for Wi-Fi is said to be up to 10 times faster than existing Wi-Fi technologies and is expected to be compatible with the existing standard, which would enable older Wi-Fi devices to work with newer products. Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output technology, which Airgo Networks Inc. developed, has been adopted as the foundation for the IEEE’s 802.11n standard. Airgo’s True MIMO chipset is considered a pre-802.11n solution that delivers higher throughput and greater range than 802.11g by using multiple antennas for data transmission. It is backward compatible with Wi-Fi networks that use the unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum band.
Competition to get 802.11n chips on the market is fierce. Last October, a group led by Intel Corp. and Broadcom formed the Enhanced Wireless Consortium, which reportedly aimed to accelerate the IEEE’s 802.11n standards-development process by promoting an industry-supported specification. Airgo contended that the companies that formed the EWC weren’t interested in speeding up the standardization of 802.11n, but were instead trying to slow down the process so that they could race to market with their own “closed standard” products, hence gaining a share of the market with pre-802.11n solutions.
Airgo said the recent vote illustrates “the clear desire for significant changes to the draft.” The company urged members to address issues such as interoperability with legacy devices and the “inferior performance of draft n” products.
“Today’s outcome proves that Draft 1.0 was not as stable as some in the industry would have us believe,” Airgo Chief Executive Officer Greg Raleigh said. “Airgo will continue to pursue its strategy of waiting until a more mature, stable draft is established before introducing products that comply.”
But fellow IEEE member Atheros Communications Inc. took issue with Raleigh’s comments, claiming that the failed vote was expected and “does not indicate that there will be radical changes to the standard.”
Analyst firm ABI Research said the vote is indicative of a long slog ahead for 802.11n. While standards-based .11n chipsets and devices are expected to come to market later this year, the firm warned users to wait until next year before investing in the technology.
“True interoperability between vendors is still wishful thinking,” according to Alan Varghese, ABI’s principal analyst for wireless semiconductors. “So consumers and business users should be wary about their purchases, at least (until) final ratification of the standard, which is expected sometime in 2007.”
But the vote was no surprise to Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which tests and certifies products for Wi-Fi interoperability.
“This is very typical for the IEEE,” noted Hanzlik. “There are always little peaks and valleys in the IEEE process, as good standards take time. Especially when you consider the volume of people trying to work together on this standard, and the amount of devices that will use this standard. This standard is trying to accomplish a lot of different things, and I think the rate of progress we’re making on 802.11n continues to be very good.”
