Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Wi-Fi equipment vendor Belkin said Monday (Aug. 9) it will release a router and wireless network card that uses pre-802.11n multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology created by Airgo Networks. The company claimed in a statement that its pre-N products will provide four times the coverage area and speed of equipment based on 802.11b and g. The company said its products will be compatible with the older standards and, in fact, will increase the performance of the older equipment.
It is widely expected that MIMO technology, which enables multiple data streams, will be incorporated into the 802.11n standard, which will support speeds of at least 100 Mbps. However, that standard is not expected to be ratified at least until the end of 2005 and there are many conflicting proposals about what that standard will look like.
In the meantime, Airgo said its True MIMO technology provides some of the benefits of the forthcoming standard, such as higher speeds and greater coverage, to existing 802.11g technology.
Equipment based on Airgo's technology is already aware from Asian vendors SOHOware and Planex. Those vendors claim that their products are aimed at the enterprise while Belkin says its products are aimed at consumers. Airgo says it will announce more vendors of products using its technology in the near future.
Belkin said its equipment will ship in October. The router will have a list price of $179.99 and the network card will cost $129.99.
By: DocMemory
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