Multi-gigabit wireless coming within three years

According to Press Esc, a team of Georgia Tech scientists working at the institute’s Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) expressed confidence that their research into multi-gigabit wireless technology will be able to yield commercially viable products within three years.

Multi-gigabit wireless technology uses extremely high radio frequencies to achieve very high data transmission rates. The downside is that the necessarily high frequencies results in a wireless range that tends to be relatively short. The transmission is also extremely susceptible to physical barriers. The team currently focuses on RF frequencies around the unlicensed 60 gigahertz (Ghz) range.

Excerpt from Multi-gigabit wireless “within three years”:

GEDC team have already achieved wireless data-transfer rates of 15 gigabits per second (Gbps) at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters and 5 Gbps at 5 meters

With the transmitted power in the vicinity of 10 milliwatts or less, the technology itself certainly looks very attractive.

Many possibilities come to mind, such as the purchasing and downloading of movies from a DVD kiosk into a mobile phone for example.

Other possibilities includes the downloading of digital PR collaterals, trial software, or software development kits at trade shows into “wireless” thumb drives powered by a lithium button cell. How about truly portable hard drives powered by wireless power (The advent of wireless power)?

Of course, we all know that wide-spread adoption, especially where pertaining to wireless gadgets, is more than just the technological hurdles.

To this end, representatives of the ECMA International computer-standards met at GEDC in February this year to discuss a new international 60 GHz standard and will be meeting again in October to finalize the technical decisions. The IEEE is also weighing in on a 60 GHz standard to be called 802.15.3C.

Do you think multi-gigabit wireless will be another Bluetooth and/or 802.11n quagmire, or will we really see multi-gigabit wireless very soon?