Intel, Microsoft, Dell and Panasonic looking for WiGig - faster home wireless

We have Wi-Fi, WiMAX, WirelessHD, WHDI, but the new buzzword for higher-speed at-home wireless networking is WiGig — short for Wireless Gigabit Alliance. And not just for peripherals, but also for cell phones, TVs and video cameras; basically anything that has wireless data transmission needs.

WiGig is the name given to a new association created to develop “an even faster wireless technology”, that is expected to be at least 10x faster than Wi-Fi. It’s greatest strength (and potential weakness in some people’s eyes) is that it will only operate over short distances, such as within a single room (or possibly two) by operating in the 60 GHz band.

Intel, Microsoft, Dell and Panasonic have all teamed up to form the association. Their effort will compete against other approaches to in-home wireless data transmission, including SiBEAM’s WirelessHD — which connects set-top boxes and Blu-ray players to TVs; and Amimon’s WHDI, which uses a Wi-Fi-like technology for the same purpose.

WiGig will provide enough bandwidth to fully transmit an entire DVD in 15 seconds, which is about 6 Gigabits per second. Its range will be limited to about 30 feet max, with notably drop-offs in throughput beyond 15-20 feet. Within 10 feet it will have its strongest transmission range, making it ideal for nearby entertainment center components.