Broadcom expects gigabit wireless speeds in 2012

Wireless networking kit based on the upcoming IEEE 802.11ac standard that will support speeds of over 1Gbit/s is expected to ship sometime in 2012 according to networking firm Broadcom.

Broadcom is one of the companies working on the new standard and it disclosed details on the technology's capabilities at an event in San Francisco, according to widespread reports.

The firm said that products based on IEEE 802.11ac should be shipping before the end of 2012, although the standard itself is understood to still be under development.

IEEE 802.11ac is expected to extend some of the techniques seen in 802.11n, such as multiple-input, multiple-output (Mimo) antennas, but with wider bandwidth to boost the bit-rate it can achieve to over 1Gbit/s.

While 802.11ac is being backed by the Wi-Fi Alliance trade association, a rival high-bandwidth standard is also being prepared for introduction next year.

Wireless Gigabit, or WiGig, is being promoted by the WiGig Alliance and promises speeds of up to a whopping 7Gbit/s over short distances, such as to displays and peripheral devices.

Broadcom and many other members of the Wi-Fi Alliance are also involved in the WiGig Alliance and have agreed to collaborate on parallel development of the two standards.

The WiGig Alliance carried out its first test of the technology in October at an event in California and it too has predicted devices utilising the technology could hit the market in 2012.