Categories: Technology

New Wi-Fi standard could span 100 kilometres

Wi-Fi

The IEEE standards body have approved a new Wi-Fi 802.22 technology that could allow a wireless network to span up to 100 kilometres and support speeds of up to 22Mbps. Is this the end of the 3G data plan?

The technology facilitates wireless data transfer over great distances by utilising the “favorable transmission characteristics of the VHF and UHF bands” – the same bands that transmit television channels. Each Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN) as they are known support speeds of up to 22Mbps per channel and do not interfere with existing TV broadcast reception as data is carried using so called “white spaces” between occupied TV channels.

The technology is especially promising for those in the developing world where large sparsely populated areas can be covered inexpensively. It also opens up the possibility to the elimination of mobile 3G networks as users would instead take advantage of these cheaper enterprise-level Wi-Fi networks that could be employed by businesses or town and city councils for example as a paid (or potentially free) service.

Image courtesy of miniyo73 on Flickr

Albizu Garcia

Albizu Garcia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gain -- a marketing technology company that automates the social media and content publishing workflow for agencies and social media managers, their clients and anyone working in teams.

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