IEEE
STARTS STANDARD TO MORE THAN TRIPLE THE RATE OF WIRELESS LANs
TO OVER
100 MBPS
Standard
Aims to Satisfy Growing Needs of Enterprise and Home Networks,
WLAN Hot Spots
Contact:
Stuart J. Kerry, IEEE 802.11 Working Group Chair
+1 408 474 7356, stuart.kerry@philips.com
or
Brian Mathews, IEEE 802.11 Publicity Chair
+1 321 259 0737, brian@linux-wlan.com
or
Karen McCabe, IEEE Senior Marketing Manager
+1 732 562 3824, k.mccabe@ieee.org
PISCATAWAY,
N.J., USA, 24 September 2003 The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has begun to develop a standard that
will raise the effective throughput of wireless local area networks
(WLAN) to at least 100 Mbps (megabits per second), which is more
than triple the current maximum IEEE 802(R) WLAN speed of 30 Mbps.
The higher-speed
standard, IEEE P802.11n(TM), "Wireles LAN Medium Access Control
(MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications: Enhancements for
Higher Effective Throughput," will help WLANs meet the expanding
bandwidth needs of enterprise and home networks, as well as those
of WLAN hot spots.
Enterprise
networks in offices and campuses typically have 100 Mbps wired
network connections. The standard will create parity between wired
and wireless systems, so enterprises can extend their use of wireless
networks to areas where the rate of existing wireless products
has been insufficient.
IEEE P802.11n
will also help home networks accommodate higher-end consumer applications,
such as those for data-intensive multimedia equipment having multiple
channels of high-resolution digital video. In addition, it will
allow WLAN hot spots in airports, hotels, cafes and other public
spaces to offer at least twice the number of user connections
than is now possible.
"WLANs
having throughputs of 100 Mbps were considered impossible just
a few years ago," said Stuart J. Kerry, IEEE 802.11(TM) Working
Group Chair. "But the success of IEEE 802.11 WLANs and a
number of technology improvements have made far greater throughput
feasible. These improvements include higher-performing radio frequency
and analog chips based on advanced CMOS technology and the integration
of entire WLAN adapters onto a single chip.
"We expect
the new standard to meet the current demand for better WLAN service
and allow a range of advanced uses. It might, for example, let
wireless systems replace data-hungry wired networks such as those
serving groups involved in computer-aided design."
The speed
objective set in IEEE P802.11n will be defined in a different
way than in other IEEE 802 standards, e.g., IEEE 802.11g(TM).
The standard will address higher effective throughput at the MAC
interface, rather than as a signaling bit rate in the PHY layer
modulation scheme. By focusing on the MAC data service access
point, the objective throughput in the standard should more closely
match what users see in transferring files and other tasks.
IEEE 802.11
standards form a family of specifications that define how WLAN
equipment should be produced so equipment from different manufacturers
can work together. The standards are developed by the IEEE 802.11
Working Group, which is sponsored by the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards
Committee of the IEEE Computer Society. For further information,
visit: http://www.ieee802.org/.
About the
IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting
body, develops consensus standards through an open process that
brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards
set specifications and procedures based on current scientific
consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed
standards and more than 400 standards in development. Over 15,000
IEEE members worldwide belong to IEEE-SA and voluntarily participate
in standards activities. For further information on IEEE-SA see:
http://standards.ieee.org/.
About the
IEEE
The IEEE has more than 380,000 members in approximately 150 countries.
Through its members, the organization is a leading authority on
areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications
to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE
produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical
and electronics engineering, computing and control technology
fields. This nonprofit organization also sponsors or cosponsors
more than 300 technical conferences each year. Additional information
about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org/.
IEEE Std 802.11 and 802.11n are trademarks of the
IEEE. All other names or product names are the trademarks, service
marks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
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