First Wi-Fi Solution to Comply With IEEE 802.11n Draft Specification Broadcom Delivers First Wi-Fi Solutions Designed to Comply With IEEE 802.11n Draft Specification
1/21/06 - Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM) announced the availability of its new Intensi-fi family of wireless LAN (WLAN) chipsets, the first solutions designed to comply with the IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Intensi-fi technology delivers superior performance and robust wireless connectivity throughout a home or office, enabling next generation Wi-Fi(R) devices to offer a flawless multimedia experience by supporting emerging voice, video and data applications.

"Broadcom is pleased that the IEEE has confirmed the 802.11n draft specification," said Dr. Henry Samueli, Broadcom's Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer. "We have been active participants in the standards process and are very happy to see the industry achieve technical consensus. With today's announcement, Broadcom is excited to deliver on our promise of interoperable, next generation wireless products for our customers and consumers."

Intensi-fi technology incorporates all mandatory elements of the IEEE 802.11n draft specification and is designed to be software upgradable once the standard is finalized. Adherence to industry standards is a priority for Broadcom, because it eliminates the compatibility and performance issues that plague users of proprietary, non-standard products. Broadcom will continue to participate in the standards process through ratification, ensuring that its solutions will comply with the final 802.11n specification.

"Now that we have the technical foundation for the 802.11n standard, the Wi-Fi market will begin to experience renewed growth as vendors deliver next- generation wireless devices," said Philip Solis, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "We expect suppliers like Broadcom to capitalize on this opportunity by introducing advanced solutions that promise interoperability and upgradability when the standard is completed, just as it did with its draft 802.11g solutions."

Broadcom is working closely with other industry leaders to demonstrate real-world interoperability among brands as draft-802.11n products become available. Broadcom is also providing technical resources to the Wi-Fi Alliance to accelerate an industry-wide 802.11n interoperability test procedure. Broadcom anticipates that the creation of the 802.11n standard will clarify the high-end of the wireless LAN market, alleviating consumer confusion caused by the non-compatible, proprietary solutions that have been previously introduced.

Intensi-fi technology supports multiple simultaneous data (or "spatial") streams over multiple transmit and receive antennas to provide data rates of over 300 Mbps and more robust coverage than legacy 802.11 products -- which use one transmitter and one receiver to support a single data stream. This provides sufficient bandwidth, range and reliability to deliver high definition (HD) video to each room of a typical home. To deliver a flawless multimedia experience, Intensi-fi technology will extend beyond traditional PCs and networking gear into consumer electronics and entertainment devices -- providing the infrastructure necessary to send movies, photos, music, voice calls and data among cable/DSL/satellite set-top boxes, personal video recorders, DVD players, gaming systems, audio equipment, cameras, cell phones and other handheld devices.

"The forthcoming 802.11n standard will drive unprecedented growth for the Wi-Fi market and become the next mainstream WLAN technology," said Michael Hurlston, General Manager of Broadcom's Home and Wireless Business Unit. "This is the first of many Broadcom products that will enable our partners to create an ecosystem of interoperable products that satisfy the requirements of next generation wireless networks."

Intensi-fi products will also enhance the experience of users of the nearly 75 million existing products based on Broadcom's industry leading Wi-Fi technologies. Intensi-fi products employ superior maximum ratio combining (MRC) techniques that enable legacy devices to achieve even greater performance and range. By making the most of their existing Wi-Fi equipment, Intensi-fi maximizes the customers' investment and protects their networks from immediate obsolescence.

The Intensi-fi solution includes a MAC/baseband chip and a radio chip that can be configured for a variety of high-speed wireless applications. Broadcom also offers two network processors that allow customers to optimize cost versus performance for wireless router designs. ,

Intensi-fi chipsets utilize an all-CMOS architecture. This not only enables highly-integrated and highly-efficient chipsets, but also sets forth a path to single-chip solutions for cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing. Intensi-fi chipsets operate in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands, which allows them to work with millions of 802.11a/b/g devices already on the market. In addition, Intensi-fi solutions leverage Broadcom's proven OneDriver(TM) software to deliver superior performance, ease-of-use and security features. This includes SecureEasySetup(TM) software, innovative technology that allows consumers to install and secure a complete wireless network with the push of a button and the click of a mouse. The OneDriver implementation also supports Wireless Multimedia(TM) (WMM(TM)), which provides quality of service and improves the user experience by prioritizing audio, video and voice traffic on a Wi-Fi network.

Broadcom is one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies, with annual revenue of more than $2 billion. The company is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe.

Source :
http://www.bbwexchange.com/publications/page1383-86147.asp
By Robert Hoskins  ¶ Sunday, February 05, 2006