Posted: 07th Aug, 2003 By: MarkJ
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has finalised yet another broadband wireless standard, 802.15.3. The new standard should speed things up (55Mbps) and improve wireless communication stability:
The standard, which was officially completed in June, allows data to be transmitted at 55Mbps for 100 yards and operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band. Networks using 802.15.3 will also be able to switch channels automatically if interference is detected from cordless phones or other networks, Heile said. The network was designed to coexist with other wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth and 802.11, or Wi-Fi.
Heile added that Wi-Fi networks were designed to stream data, not video and audio content. Whether 802.15.3 achieves widespread adoption depends on how rapidly existing technologies, such as Wi-Fi, will be enhanced to also improve streaming quality, said Ian McPherson, an analyst with research firm Wireless Data Research Group.ZDNet reports that devices using the 802.15.3 standard should be ready by the end of 2004 and cost roughly £100.