Coalition Formed to Speed 802.11n Standard

The Enhanced Wireless Consortium, consisting of companies such as Intel and Sony, also unveils a pre 802.11n technology specification.

A group of well known companies today announced they formed a coalition to help accelerate the development of the wireless 802.11n standard as well as promote a technology specification for next generation WLAN products. This coalition, called the Enhanced Wireless Consortium, counts amongst its members Apple, Cisco, Intel, Sony and Toshiba.   The EWC’s technology specification is designed to enhance wireless performance, coverage and interoperability prior to ratification of a new 802.11n standard. This specification addresses the PC and networking equipment market, as well as emerging handheld and consumer electronic applications. The consortium has designed its specification to support speeds of up to 600 Mbps, and is considering the inclusion of other advanced technologies — including Space Time Block Coding (STBC) and beamforming — that will enable systems to deliver greater range for wireless products as well.   Members of the EWC, the coalition said, will continue to work within the IEEE Task Group "N" to facilitate a ratified 802.11n standard. Its specification includes many elements of previous proposals, which will accelerate the completion of a merged proposal draft within the official IEEE timeline.