First Wave of Wi-Fi Certification Hits

More than 140 products complying with 802.11n draft 2.0 have been Wi-Fi certified since the Wi-Fi Alliance’s testing program began in June. This first wave of products enables enterprise users to select interoperable next-generation Wi-Fi gear.

“Wi-Fi is a pervasive wireless technology used in millions of homes and businesses worldwide,” says Wi-Fi Alliance senior director Karen Hanley. “We expect the rate of adoption of next-generation Wi-Fi will continue to accelerate in new devices and multi-media applications.”

802.11n was created to enable Wi-Fi networks to do more, faster, and over a larger area. ABI Research (abiresearch.com), a technology research company in Oyster Bay, N.Y., forecasts more than 90% of Wi-Fi chipset shipments will support 802.11n by 2012. “For many, 802.11n will revolutionize the way Wi-Fi is deployed, enabling larger, data-heavy applications,” says Phil Solis, principal analyst at ABI Research. “At the same time, we expect many people who haven’t previously tried Wi-Fi will try it, substantially growing the market.”

802.11n is based on the multiple-input-multiple-output air interface technology, which employs multiple receivers and transmitters to transport two or more data streams simultaneously in the same frequency channel. Wi-Fi certified 802.11n draft 2.0 products can achieve data rates of up to 300 Mbps, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Wi-Fi certified products are tested for interoperability and adherence to Wi-Fi Protected Access security protocols.

The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to certify products based on the final version of the 802.11n standard once ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.