(via Broadcom)
The "4G" (4th generation)name has been used haphazardly to define bigger bandwidth wireless technology. As many know, it does not always mean the same thing. It appears the 5th generation (5G) may follow suit. The first claim to the 5G name comes in the form of Broadcom's 5G WiFi, also known as 802.11ac.
5G WiFi was developed to keep pace with the demand for HD streaming and high data demands. 5G WiFi can bring data speeds between 433 Mbit/s to 6.93 Gbit/s, depending on antenna configuration (more antennas the better). Compared to the current consumer reigning champion 802.11n's rates of 54 Mbit/s to 600 Mbit/s, 5G WiFi has the potential to be 10x faster. Like 802.11n, 5G WiFi builds on the concept of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM), which together handle several independent data streams within one spectral channel of bandwidth.
Broadcom brings 4 chips breaking industry ground in the 5G WiFi world: BCM4360, BCM4352, BCM43526 and BCM43516. Some chips are specifically designed to work with PCI-E and USB interfaces, making it easy for developers to get new products up and running. We may get to see these chips in action at the 2012 CES event neeext week. For now, see the full press release with details about each chip at Broadcom's site.
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