A group of companies have come together to submit a proposal to the IEEE for a global 802.11n standard, a protocol described as a next-generation Wi-Fi technology.
The proposal, which is based on a hybrid of the OFDM and multiple in, multiple out technologies, is spearheaded by Airgo Networks, Bermai, Broadcom, Conexant Systems Inc., STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments.
The technology is expected to be approved in 2005. The 802.11n standards will provide throughput in excess of 100 megabits per second, far beyond the existing 30 Mbps, according to proponents.
The proposed standard is called WWiSE, which stands for Worldwide Spectrum Efficiency. The companies said the proposal will abide by the following guidelines:
- It will have global deployment and be backward compatible with all Wi-Fi standards.
- It will comply with data rates in all regions with different regulatory standards, including Japan.
- The companies will enjoy royalty-free license options.
“Under this agreement, which is not a patent pool, but a reciprocal royalty-free individual license option, WWiSE member companies will not charge developers for an 802.11n license for their respective patent claims that are essential to implementing the standard,” said the companies, adding a non-contributor to WWiSE can still take advantage of the license offer.
The WWiSE proposal will also build on the 20-megahertz channel format used by millions of current Wi-Fi devices, which will leverage the installed base and improve network performance, according to the consortium. The technology is expected to lower costs for developers, manufacturers and consumers, said the consortium.
The companies cover both integrated circuit makers and consumption segments.
