IBM and MediaTek are teaming up to build the next generation wireless technology that will dwarf the commonly used Wi-Fi technology.
Radio scientists at IBM and digital signal processing scientists at MediaTek are working on this new wireless technology that can transfer data at a rate that is considerably higher than that of conventional Wi-Fi technology.
Figure: Prototype millimeter wave chip.
Currently Wi-Fi can transfer data at rate of 54Mbps - 108 Mbps. This new technology can deliver data up to a speed of 2.5Gbps, which almost 25 times the speed of latest Wi-Fi N draft.
How this speed is achieved?
The frequency of carrier wave is modified for this capability. Normal Wi-Fi signals are carried using a 2.4GHz / 5 GHz frequency. While this new technology uses the spectrum of millimeter wavelength, which is in range of 30GHz - 300 GHz. Higher frequency implies better carrying capacity and more penetrative strength.
It is expected that this new wireless protocol will be highly suitable for HD streaming. As HD video and audio requires huge bandwidth, this wireless technology will help manufactures to build new audio video devices capable of wireless HD streaming / reception.
IBM & MediaTek hopes to create the final draft of this protocol by year 2009 end.
What do you think?