TDM and VOIP

February 24, 2006

By Dave Molta
Courtesy of Network Computing

The IEEE recently approved a draft of its most significant new standard in the past 10 years: 802.11n, which specifies the means for running wireless LANs at speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. Based on a specification developed by the EWC (Enhanced Wireless Consortium), an association of leading 802.11 silicon developers, the draft was approved unanimously. Even Airgo Networks, whose business might suffer from the standardization of its proprietary MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, voted yes.

Broadcom and Atheros--which, along with Intel, currently dominate the market for enterprise notebook and AP wireless modules--quickly proclaimed the standard a victory for the industry. They congratulated themselves for driving 802.11n, then for announcing products based on the draft, and then for suggesting that the new chips will be compatible with the final standard, which isn't likely to be approved for another 12 months. Still, it's great to see heavyweights Atheros and Broadcom--not to mention Marvel, Intel and Airgo--getting ready to slug it out in the wireless silicon and network reference designs market, where competition is the key to its long-term success.

Products based on the 802.11n draft will first appear in the consumer wireless router market, then in the enterprise, where the standard's speed will favor making wireless the default LAN. It could take three years for 802.11n to become the dominant WLAN standard, but get ready: You could be doing pilots as early as next year.