Airgo Bypasses Standards Panel With Wi-Fi Chip
By DON CLARK
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
September 15, 2005; Page B6
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112673893080441100,00.html?mod=technology%5Fmain%5Fwhats%5Fnews
A major speed boost is coming for wireless data networks, but a battle over
technology standards could pose confusing choices for customers.
Airgo Networks Inc., a closely held start-up in Silicon Valley, said it has
developed chips that can send data over wireless networks at a speed of up
to 240 megabits per second. That's more than four times the top speed of
widely used Wi-Fi networks, and more than twice the 100-megabit speed of
Ethernet networks that are used in many homes and offices.
Greg Raleigh, Airgo's chief executive officer, predicted the technology
will begin supplanting Ethernet for connecting desktop computers and other
applications where wires are now preferred, not just for connecting
portable devices such as laptop computers.
Others, however, are pushing for faster successors to Wi-Fi, working
through an industry standard-setting committee that is evaluating competing
proposals based on know-how from Airgo and others for a wireless technology
dubbed 802.11n.
Airgo, whose announcement was reported in the San Jose Mercury News
yesterday, chose not to wait, even as it continues to work with the committee.
That decision rankles some Airgo competitors. They note that users will
have to buy devices with Airgo chips on both ends of a wireless connection
-- a new communications card for a laptop computer, for example, as well as
a new base station -- to achieve the higher speeds. Those products also may
not be compatible with 802.11n gear arriving from other companies later.
"What the consumer wants is a standards-based solution," said Jack Lazar,
chief financial officer of Atheros Communications Inc., a competing maker
of Wi-Fi chips.
The timing of 802.11n products is uncertain. Besides two major groups
backing proposals for the standard, a third proposal is widely expected to
come from Intel Corp., Atheros, Broadcom Corp. and Marvell Technology Group
Ltd. That third proposal may delay ratification of standard products until
mid-2007, some analysts say.
But Airgo's Mr. Raleigh predicted an initial ageement on 802.11n technology
will be reached by November, and a standard formalized in 12 months.
Greater communications speed is important for moving high-quality video
around the home. But many companies are vying to reach that goal. Another
new entrant is Ruckus Wireless Inc., a Silicon Valley startup previously
known Video54, which is announcing technology next week to help existing
Wi-Fi networks transmit video without the jitters common to existing products.
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
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