Multi-gigabit technology promises to cut the wires

Wired computers in the home and even in enterprise data centres could soon be a thing of the past thanks to emerging super-fast wireless connectivity technology.

Scientists at the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology are investigating the use of extremely high radio frequencies to achieve broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates over short distances.

This "multi-gigabit wireless" approach could result in a bevy of personal area network applications within three years, including next-generation home multimedia and wireless data connections able to transfer an entire DVD in seconds.

The research focuses on radio frequencies around 60GHz which are currently unlicensed, i.e. free for anyone to use, in the US.

GEDC researchers reported having achieved wireless data transfer rates of 15Gbps at a distance of one metre, 10Gbps at two metres and 5Gbps at five metres.

"The goal here is to maximise data throughput to make possible a host of new wireless applications for home and office connectivity," said Professor Joy Laskar, GEDC director and lead researcher on the project along with research scientist Stephane Pinel.

GEDC's multi-gigabit wireless research is expected to lend itself to two major types of applications: data and video.

Very high speed, peer-to-peer data connections could be available in less than two years, according to Pinel.

Devices such as external hard drives, laptop computers, MP3 players, mobile phones and commercial kiosks could transfer huge amounts of data in seconds. And data centres could install racks of servers without the customary jumble of wires.