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Imminent on Wi Fi Scene

Reports involving the imminent integration of wireless LAN chips into mobile cordless phones were predicted by industry analysts to happen at around the year 2004. This was also the supposed arrival of mobile cordless phones exhibiting exceptional smart antenna technology, according to the panel of wireless chip experts at the Communications Design Conference that was held in US.

Providing a very expansive platform through which all things wireless could be discussed with as much attention—as much careful scrutiny—that experts in the field are rarely able to indulge in, the panel was not only able to explore issues as well as concerns that surround wireless technologies but also future possibilities involving wireless initiatives as well. From the emergence of a considerable of cordless phones sporting better and more refined if not precisely advanced features on the market, the growing dependence on wearable electronics such as wireless headsets in a number of industry sectors to the invention and development of other consumer gadgets that take wireless operations to entirely new levels of performance and expediency.

During the panel, Craig Barratt, current chief executive of Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros Communications, informed the public of how phased-array antenna technology is set to make an appearance in client 802.11 chips soon. “That will be a way to substantially increase frequency efficiency,” Barratt mused.

In an interview done after the panel, Barratt expressed the belief that the technology will soon appear in silicon before the end of next year arrives. The technology will be for access points supporting multiple antennas connecting to single-antenna PC chipsets in order to offer users with better range as well as greater capacity. This set-up may be further improved by installing support for multiple antennas on both client and access-point chipsets.

“This is one way Wi-Fi chip makers will be able to differentiate their products. The big challenge is it will add costs. You will have to sell the products on the added value in terms of greater range or data rate,” Barratt expounded on the matter.

During one of the sessions, Carl Panasik, a distinguished member of the technical staff at Texas Instruments Inc. at present took a contrary stance. He pointed out in particular that in tests running six Wi Fi nets in a single room, smart antenna technology demonstrated little to nil impact on the performance of the system.

However, when asked for private comments concerning the subject after the panel session had taken a break, Panasik stated that TI was “very deep into” smart antenna technology. “We have a lot of the basic patents in this area, but it has to become part of a standard before we will allocate resources to [building] something,” he observed.

A general agreement prevailed among a considerable portion of the panelists on the notion that while merely large carriers were in possession of a reasonable business model for building public Wi-Fi networks, 802.11 will appear in phones in any case—likely for cordless phones, in particular—beginning next year. As a matter of fact, earlier this year, Broadcom, Philips and TI released low-power Wi-Fi chipsets designed to cater to work compatibly well with smart cordless phones as well as wireless PDAs.

“One year ago everyone thought Wi-Fi was a power hog. But we have shown with good engineering how we can expand this technology in the mobile space,” stated Paul Marino. Marino is the general manager of the business communications group at Philips Semiconductors at present.

“So we will see the logical convergence of cellular and Wi-Fi networks next year,” mused Craig Mathias, principal with the Farpoint Group. Mathias moderated the panel, acting as session director throughout the activity. Mathias stated he anticipated the emergence of mobile cordless phones packing along integrated Wi Fi features and capabilities at the forthcoming Consumer Electronics Show in January. He estimates that by the time June comes, production of the said units will already be underway.