Wi-Fi's 'N' to Get Industry Group Nod
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NEW YORK -- A wireless industry group, worried about incompatibilities among next-generation routers and network cards, will start certifying products next year without waiting for the completion of technical standards.
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A second consortium puts in a bid for the faster 802.11n spec. But don't expect a battle over formats.
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The Wi-Fi Alliance on Monday launched the action phase of its plan to get faster wireless networking products into the market, kicking off certification testing of gear based on a draft version of the IEEE 802.11n standard.
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Dual-mode handsets will be able to connect to the company's worldwide Wi-Fi network on the cheap.
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(InfoWorld) - âI-triple-what?â was the question being asked last week, after the Wi-Fi Alliance said it will start certifying next-generation wireless LAN products by the first half of 2007, regardless of whether the IEEE has signed off on new wireless specifications for them. The announcement last Tuesday was a break from tradition for the Alliance, which tests and certifies wireless LAN products from different vendors for interoperability; typically, the group waits until the IEEE has fully certified a wireless standard before testing products against it and putting its seal of approval on those that pass the test. In question is final approval of a specification for 802.11n, a proposed wireless standard that would support data throughput of 100Mbps or higher. A nasty fight over how to use multiple antennas and radios to achieve that performance boost has pushed back the expected approval of the specification several times. Final ratification of the specification is now scheduled for April 2008. With Wi-Fi products supporting some 802.11n features already available, the Wi-Fi Alliance couldnât wait around, said Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. The Alliance will use a two-phase certification process, testing for interoperability against whatever parts of the standard it believes are solid and unlikely to change, Hanzlik said. In Phase 2, the Alliance will use the approved IEEE standard, whenever itâs finished. Vendors strongly back the Wi-Fi Allianceâs dual-stage plan, even though some chip set makers have already performed interoperability tests for draft 802.11n products, Hanzlik claimed. âThe only way to really get the right kind of user experience is if thereâs an industrywide interoperability program,â Hanzlik added.
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(InfoWorld) - The working group for the emerging IEEE 802.20 mobile broadband standard, which was suspended last year after a fight over members' real company affiliations, has changed its voting rules. In the IEEE 802.20 working group, each entity -- including vendors, university research groups, and other bodies -- will have one vote. Typically in IEEE networking standards groups, members vote as individuals regardless of whom they work for. The working group was suspended in June 2006 after allegations that Qualcomm was improperly trying to dominate the process and that its then-chairman, Jerry Upton, had identified himself as an independent consultant but was paid by Qualcomm. Upton has since disclosed his work as a consultant for Qualcomm. The latest move, made Tuesday during a meeting of several IEEE standards bodies in San Francisco, came amid continuing concerns about domination of the group, 802.20 Committee Chairman Paul Nikolich said in a written statement. The change will help deliver a standard in a timely way, he said. Worries about Qualcomm's influence over the standards process seem to have continued. At a meeting in Montreal in May, some members of the group expressed concern that the company had two votes on the working group's Editorial Group because both the chair and one member represented Qualcomm, according to the draft minutes of the meeting. The chair clarified that the chair was only to vote when needed to break a tie. IEEE 802.20 is intended as a multi-megabit mobile data and voice system. Some of the technology that has played a role in it was developed by Flarion Technologies, which Qualcomm acquired in 2005. With 3GÂ cellular networks now going after the 1MbpsÂ barrier, there is no shortage of potential rivals to IEEE 802.20. Another mobile broadband standard, IEEE 802.16e, is being adopted by many system vendors and service providers under the WiMax name. One advantage of 802.20, proponents have said, is that it can be used in faster moving vehicles than can WiMax. Sprint Nextel, having previously tested Flarion's system, last year chose WiMax for its nationwide 4G network for commercial launch that will be launched next year. The company said Thursday it plans to join with ClearWireÂ for broader coverage. Sprint Nextel chose WiMax because it already existed as a technology and a standard and was being embraced by a large number of equipment vendors, including Nokia, said Atish Gude, senior vice president of mobile broadband operations at Sprint.
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Distribution system could help businesses manage software upgrades on wireless devices.
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Control of the UK's radio spectrum is being handed to the business community to promote wireless services.
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Telecoms standards group seeks developers
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A new battle of technologies may be in the offing in the 802.11n arena as 12 key companies have developed a key proposal to counter another one announced last week that is backed by a group of top wireless players.
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Meat wagons hitched to wireless bandwagon
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Investor's Business Daily - Offices still lag homes when it comes to wireless networking, or Wi-Fi. But they're catching up.
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Wireless vendor Symbol Technologies Inc. has told us it will be seeking a big license fee from all Wi-Fi equipment vendors for an infringed patent. And according to one manufacturer, Proxim Corp., it stands a good chance of getting it.
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Cities and towns are jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon. But a municipal model of connectivity may be tricky to pull off.
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Will launch a fixed wireless service in a 'major city' next year
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Prepares to enter broadband era with Wi-Fi adaptor
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Chip maker wants you to know about the benefits of a wireless network.