Intersil Applauds IEEE 802.11 Actions to Speed Data Rates in the 2.4 GHz Spectrum
-- Business Wire, 11/19/01
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation -- Intersil Corporation (Nasdaq:ISIL):
-- 54Mbps data rates now possible in the 2.4GHz band
-- Ensures backwards compatibility to existing Wi-Fi systems
Intersil Corporation, the world's leading developer of silicon technology for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), announced its support of a new proposal that was confirmed in a vote yesterday by Task Group G of the IEEE's 802.11 Committee. The vote sets the stage for a new wireless networking standard (802.11g) that will allow data rates up to 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. Current 802.11b Wi-Fi systems have a maximum data rate of 11 megabits per second (Mbps).
This new proposal redefines next-generation high-data-rate platforms for the industry. Microsoft and the major PC companies have consistently stated that it is critical that new high-data-rate products are backwards compatible to the current 11Mbps Wi-Fi products; the proposed standard includes backwards compatibility. Mandatory modulation schemes of the proposed standard are Complementary Code Keying (CCK), used in 802.11b, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), used in 802.11a. Two optional modulations are allowed if systems manufacturers choose to add them: CCK-OFDM and CCK-PBCC.
"This is a huge win for the wireless industry for several reasons," said Gregory Williams, president and CEO of Intersil Corporation. "First, it is backwards compatible with the large installed user base of over 11 million Wi-Fi products. Second, it meets our customers' demands for significant speed increases in the 2.4 GHz band, necessary for multi-channel DVD-quality video and CD-quality audio applications."
Intersil will develop and market a new chip set that meets the proposed 802.11g standard by the second quarter of 2002. The new chip set will implement the proposal's mandatory CCK and OFDM modulation schemes, supporting data rates up to 54 Mbps. Intersil will not develop chip sets with the optional CCK-PBCC modulation. "We feel that the mandatory elements of the proposed standard meet all the needs of the market," Williams commented. "Intersil will leverage our proven experience in radio reference designs, software and complete chip sets to deliver an exciting next generation of products fully backward compatible to existing 11 Mbps radios worldwide."
The Global Wireless Market Embraces PRISM WLAN Technology
"Intersil is the number one manufacturer of wireless LAN chipsets and has been a driving force behind the success of WLANs," said a May 2001 WLAN report from Cahners In-Stat Group. Since introducing the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996, industry-leading companies including Actiontec, Alcatel, ASUS, Casio, Cisco, Compaq, 3Com, Dell, D-Link, GemTek, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Legend, Linksys, Nokia, Nortel, Panasonic, Quanta, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, SOHOware, Sony, SpectraLink, Symbol, Z-Com and Zoom have incorporated PRISM chips in WLAN product designs. PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE's 802.11 global standard, and Intersil is a founding sponsor of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), whose Wi-Fi brand is a mark of compatibility for 802.11-based systems.
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