This press release just came over the wire. It’s about time these bickering companies started to finalize all this.
A key milestone was reached today in a process that has captured the attention of the entire technology industry. The IEEE’s next generation Wi-Fi standard has been the focus of intense scrutiny for the past several months due to the incredible benefits of the Airgo-pioneered MIMO technology on which it is based.
Today at Noon Pacific Time, the 802.11n task group voted to accept the Joint Proposal as the basis for Draft One of the new standard. This Joint Proposal includes features and performance benefits that will enable the industry to realize a host of emergent applications such as streaming video, audio and VOIP. Airgo believes today’s vote represents the best interests of both consumers and the industry since the proposal can now be evaluated and amended by all parties in an open forum. The vote today was decided by a 184 to 0 margin with four abstentions, and signals an end to the special interest group politics that disrupted standards progress this Fall.
While most within the 11n task group agree that it will take just over a year to move from Draft 1.0 to 11n ratification, it is debatable as to when the draft will be stable enough to begin designing firmware upgradeable chip sets. Claims that chip sets based on any early draft will be firmware upgradeable to the final 11n specification are irresponsible, and may mislead consumers who do not fully understand the IEEE process. The draft will undergo several more rounds of review and revisions before it is stable enough to guarantee firmware upgradeability to the final ratified standard. More importantly, it will be impossible for customers to be assured of interoperability until the Wi-Fi Alliance begins such testing and certification after Q107.
Interesting. Quite correct about getting the standard sorted out promptly. Curious to see that close to an absolute majority agreed (actually no dissenters). Although there are some competing standards, I can’t see this developing into a Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD tussle.
This is the mirror image of Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD.
With the new wireless standard, you have companies working together to hammer out a decent set of rules.
With the new disc standard, you have companies working against each other to make money.
While I’m a fan of capitalism, I’m also a fan of the best technology winning. While it may be slow, the “standards” route is the best way to accomplish this.
Yes, the companies waiting for the 802.11n standard to be completed are really hurting. Let’s take up a collection for Linksys, Belkin, Net Gear, and the like right away.
You said it yourself: In VHS/BetaMax, the consumer lost. This scenario is setting up to happen against in Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. That’s why I’m a fan of standards being used. Otherwise there would be three or four different wireless standards in place of 802.11n, with consumers confused as to which to buy (and many not buying any of them).
Likewise, standards don’t prevent other like-technologies from coming about. WUSB is coming, Bluetooth as been around, and cell companies are still pushing 3G technology.
I’d rather see the marketplace get something right slowly than screw it up quickly.