• 
• Cloud
• Business
• Enterprise Apps
• Hardware
• Internet
• Networking
• Prod Apps
• Security
• Software Dev
• Storage
• IT Weekly

More Related Stories

Feature: Page (1) of 1 - 01/27/12

email article print page

WiGig: More than Wi-Fi on Steroids

By Tim Kridel for Intelligence In Software

Wi-Fi is one of the world`s most widely used wireless technologies. Two common downsides of that popularity are interference and often slow speeds.

A new wireless technology called WiGig aims to complement Wi-Fi performance by providing an alternative for certain usages, like peer-to-peer and device-to-device information exchange.

Commercially available by late 2012, WiGig will use the 60 GHz band, which is unlicensed spectrum that`s virtually unused in most countries. Wi-Fi shares the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands with everything from microwave ovens to cordless phones. That spectral difference affects performance, reliability and potential applications. For example, with any wireless technology, higher frequencies typically can support more bandwidth. WiGig has a theoretical top speed of 7 Gbps versus sub-100 Mbps with Wi-Fi.

Higher frequencies also mean shorter ranges. In an area with a high density of wireless devices, such as an office building, a short range reduces the chances that one device will be close enough to others to interfere with them. Interference also saps bandwidth, so a shorter range can improve throughput too. The upshot is that WiGig provides enterprises with a way to reduce interference and improve bandwidth on their Wi-Fi LANs (WLANs).

"By definition, these WiGig applications are much more short range: 5 meters rather than 25 meters for Wi-Fi infrastructure," says Ali Sadri, chairman and president of WiGig Alliance.

Here`s one scenario: For short-range, high-bandwidth applications -- such as connecting a laptop to a projector or display -- the enterprise starts replacing Wi-Fi devices with WiGig gear. That offloading means less interference and less traffic for the remaining Wi-Fi infrastructure.

"They can say: `All of the infrastructure access technologies are going to be 2.4 or 5 Gig. All of the peer-to-peer (P2P) applications and display applications will go over WiGig,`" says Sadri, who`s also director of Intel`s Mobile Wireless Group. "I think there`s a huge opportunity for IT to clean up the mess, perhaps even disallowing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz from being used for P2P applications."

Enterprises also could use WiGig to enhance network security. For example, guests could be restricted to using WiGig for tasks such as Internet access or connecting to a conference room projector. WiGig also could be the way to authenticate guests, such as contractors and business partners, who deserve access to the corporate WLAN.

Consumer electronics vendors could use a similar strategy. For example, some set-top boxes use Wi-Fi rather than cables to connect to TVs. (Panasonic says WiGig can transfer a 30-minute compressed HD video in about 10 seconds.) In the future, they might use WiGig in order to deliver the bandwidth necessary for 1080p 3-D video, reducing traffic on and interference to the home`s WLAN.

What Types of Devices?

The ability to implement those strategies depends on the availability of WiGig-equipped devices. One major vendor, Wilocity, is currently providing samples of its chipsets to device OEMs and expects to start shipping commercial volumes by the middle of this year. If that schedule holds, the first WiGig devices could debut by late 2012.

"I expect to see notebooks and tablets showing up in 2012 and 2013," says Mark Grodzinsky, Wilocity vice president of marketing. "Phones probably will be a little further out, but they`re definitely a target market.

"Storage is very interesting because with the wireless bus extension in WiGig, you can do things such as wireless PCI Express. Storage devices are moving to a native PCI interface, so rather than going to USB and converting USB to PCI Express, you could do wireless PCI Express direct."

WiGig also dovetails nicely with the trend toward thin devices, particularly tablets, smartphones, TVs and laptops. The thinner they get, the more difficult it is for OEMs to find room for multiple connectors, some of which may be thicker than the device itself. WiGig could provide a way to reduce or even eliminate USB, HDMI and other ports.

"You can imagine an Ultrabook that you put on your desk, and you`ve got a dock that`s got connections to high-performance storage and a high-definition monitor," says Grodzinsky.

That`s probably going to be one of WiGig`s initial commercial applications because the alliance is finalizing a docking station extension, which will facilitate connections and secure the data flowing over them. The organization also is working to ensure multivendor interoperability. In December, it held its first plugfest, and it`s developing a certification program.

Is WiGig a Complement or Competitor?

If WiGig is so fast and relatively untouched by interference, why wouldn`t chipset manufacturers and device OEMs simply start abandoning technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, WHDI and WirelessHD?

In the short term, one reason is because they`re incumbents, whereas WiGig has yet to make its commercial debut, let alone build a following. In fact, WiGig is leveraging Wi-Fi`s success by basing part of its technology on Wi-Fi. That means Wi-Fi vendors can reuse some of their designs for WiGig to build multi-technology chipsets.

Another reason is use cases. For example, Wi-Fi`s architecture is better for LAN-type applications and for connections that span 25 meters or longer. WiGig is designed for links of 5 meters or shorter, and for P2P connections rather than, say, an access point supporting several devices simultaneously. Meanwhile, NFC is better suited for low-bandwidth connections over distances of 4 centimeters to 0.2 meters.

"I wouldn`t position these as an either-or," says Grodzinsky. "WiGig is designed to complement Wi-Fi, not replace it. We were built on top of the 802.11 spec so that everything we`re doing is fully compliant with Wi-Fi. That will allow you to build tri-band products, which will have 60 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz."

Copyright (c) 2012 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.