-- Microwave Ovens To Be Wi-Fi Safe?
Dec 16, 2003
One of the problems facing Wi-Fi is increasing congestion of the unlicensed 2.4
GHz band, a problem some say is growing faster than expected, threatening to
derail Wi-Fi growth in the near future.
Given the nature of the band and the applications it's already supporting, this
isn't even a question of too many access points fighting over channels. In fact
a huge part of the problem comes from microwave ovens emitting RF noise.
That being the case, something that would normally go right past the broadband
industry without notice deserves a bit of recognition. While doing research to
improve military radar, researchers from the University of Michigan have
discovered a way to make magnetrons -- the elements in microwave ovens that give
off the radiation -- that give off less noise. The technique actually turns out
to be fairly simple, using ordinary magnets to focus emissions more precisely
into the desired frequency. That means radar that can detect smaller objects at
greater distances, but it also means microwave ovens that play better with
others in their vicinity, whether those others are pacemakers, cordless phones
or Wi- Fi networks.
Granted, magnets aren't expensive, but assuming this adds some measurable amount
to the cost of a microwave oven, will vendors actually use it? With 2.4 GHz
being an unlicensed band, they have as much right to dump noise there as anyone
else has to transmit data.
Regardless of spectrum legalities, microwave vendors don't like taking the blame
in consumers' eyes when their other electronics start to go flaky. Our guess is
that they will incorporate the technology -- particularly because it seems the
added cost should be minimal -- and the 2.4 GHz band will get a little easier to
use.
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