Posted: 19th Feb, 2004 By: MarkJ
Intel has pledged to bring the next-generation broadband wireless LAN technology, Ultrawideband, into the USA market by 2005. However, a lack of European approval means that the arrival of similar UK hardware is in doubt:
By 2005, the company said, a wide range of consumer electronics devices would start to be able to communicate with each other over ultrawideband wireless, which is a very high-speed, short-range networking system. However, only the US has regulations in place that allow this, and the company could give no date for European approval.
"Our job is to kill the wires" said Pat Gelsinger, Intel's chief technical officer. He showed USB 2.0 video being carried over UWB prototype equipment, the first time this has been publicly demonstrated, connected with unmodified laptops and a camcorder. Intel predicts that UWB will take over from cables wherever digital media needs to be moved between equipment within a few metres of each other.
Ultrawideband has become increasingly controversial within the industry during the past year, with an approvals process becoming deadlocked within the IEEE. As a result, a group called the MBOA, comprising Intel and about sixty others, is developing its standard independently of the IEEE.This is clearly not very good news and hopefully the issues with EU approval can be resolved before we're all forced to wait another year on top. More @
ZDNet.