Samsung Developing Wireless Tech Five Times Faster Than 802.11ac

PC World’s Brad Chacos has an article out on a recent Samsung announcement: “Samsung announced it’s developing new 802.11ad Wi-Fi technology that can turbocharge network speeds fivefold, from today’s 866Mbps per-device maximum to a blistering 4.6Gbps.” At that speed, Samsung adds that a 1GB movie would download in about 3 seconds. Wow.

How does Samsung plan to do this? The answer lies in a new wireless standard, called 802.11ad, and a new frequency. Instead of relying on the 2.4 and 5 GHz channels, Samsung’s tech will use the 60GHz frequency range.

In the past, range has been a barrier for 60GHz frequency 802.11ad wireless signals, because due to the laws of physics, the higher the frequency you have, the shorter the range you get, generally speaking. Typical applications for 60 GHz channels have therefore involved very short-range activities.

Until now.

Samsung claims to have overcome the range barrier and other problems:

“By leveraging millimeter-wave circuit design and high performance modem technologies and by developing wide-coverage beam-forming antenna, Samsung was able to successfully achieve the highest quality, commercially viable 60GHz Wi-Fi technology.

 In addition, Samsung also enhanced the overall signal quality by developing the world’s first micro beam-forming control technology that optimizes the communications module in less than 1/3,000 seconds, in case of any changes in the communications environment. The company also developed the world’s first method that allows multiple devices to connect simultaneously to a network.”

Samsung expects commercialization of the new WiFi tech in 2015, although Chacos says that Samsung is only talking about “industry-wide usage of the 60GHz frequency itself—not necessarily the release of Samsung products packing the company’s new technology.” Chacos therefore suggests that you should not start budgeting to replace that brand new 802.11ac network you just put in. Samsung’s stated plans for the tech semi-confirm what Chacos says, as the products and services involved will be things like medical devices, telecom equipment, the “Samsung Smart Home” and other “internet of things” applications.

Nevertheless, this tech is on the horizon, as I predict in 3-5 years the 802.11ad technology standard will mature and be become ready for WiFi adoption, if Samsung’s breakthrough claims are to be believed.