It has long been said that the need for faster Wifi should be a necessity in coming technology. Yet other than some focus on 4G, little has been done about it…until now. The Wi-Fi Alliance has confirmed that both computers and smart devices will have access to much faster Wifi speeds starting next year, thanks to WiGig.
The improvement is not for its own sake, but to keep up with current technology that is becoming hotter on the market. Specifically virtual reality, which for the first time is accessible to people in their own homes.
Virtual Reality and The Need For Wifi Speed
With wireless VR especially prominent in coming products, a fast enough Wifi speed is crucial to keep things running at a good stream rate. Smartphones in particular are boosting their graphics and CPU performance to account for access to VR in their handsets.
It will be the first time such capabilities are possible, and WiGig wants to take advantage.
WiGig Offer Performance Boost Over Short Range
You can think of WiGig as a prototype, more than a final product. It works by boosting speeds using a chip with certain phones and laptops that support the technology. But it is very limited; you can only use it within the room where the router is located, as it is a short range piece of equipment.
Obviously, this is a big drawback. However, this is also the first tech of its kind, a first generation Wifi chip. It isn’t impressive for what it is, but what it will become over time. For now, people can use it to boost speeds enough to stream VR tech in a specific area, which isn’t any different than using VR headsets, or gaming consoles. Those are also limited by area.
The First Step In a Long Journey
In the end, this is the first move towards more consistent Wifi speeds that meets the demands on next generation technology that is hitting shelves. Sure, it is a glorified beta launch. But that doesn’t make it any less valuable. On the contrary, it gives us hope for better versions that will come faster thanks to the real world testing that will be done by consumers.
I am personally very excited about this, and what it means for Wifi. That particular tech has been lacking in updates for far too long. It is time we got some fresh features to spice it up.
Source: Marketwired
