Posted: 10th May, 2010 By: MarkJ
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Wireless Gigabit Alliance™ (WiGig), which seeks to advance the worldwide adoption and use of 60GHz wireless networking technology, has published a unified specification for its approach and opened an Adopter Program. The move means that WiGig members can now begin developing Wi-Fi (802.11) kit that delivers wireless networking speeds of 'up to' 7Gbps (Gigabits per second) over the unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum.
The move follows efforts by Ofcom UK at the end of last year to open spectrum in the 59 - 64GHz band for use by Fixed Wireless Systems (FWS) under a licence exempt authorisation approach. However today's announcement only became possible after the Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit international association formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of wireless Local Area Network (LAN) products, came to an agreement on the way forward with WiGig.
Dr. Ali Sadri, WiGig Alliance president and Chairman, said:
"On behalf of the WiGig Alliance, I’m extremely proud to announce the publication of the industry’s first comprehensive multi-gigabit wireless specification. WiGig can now provide the world’s leading innovators with a license to develop next-generation wireless products under royalty-free terms.
With this announcement today, and with our new partnership with the Wi-Fi Alliance, we are one step closer to fulfilling our vision of a unified 60 GHz ecosystem. We welcome all companies to join with us as we continue to drive the industry forward."
Ofcom expects to officially introduce its new regulatory changes sometime this summer with the publication of its Final Regulatory Statement on licence exemption and exemption regulations. The first hardware could therefore be expected to surface by the end of this year, although historically real-world Wi-Fi performance often falls far short of expectations.