WiFi is set to overcome its limitation of being barred by walls, and to achieve actual 200Mbit per second data transfer speeds, according to a leader in MIMO (multiple input multiple output) technology, Airgo Networks.

“The MIMO signal is twice as loud as non-MIMO so it will go through walls twice as thick as non-MIMO," said Airgo’s Dave Borison, at the recent Globalpress Monterey Summit Conference.

One of the limiting factors for WiFi used in home networking, has been the signal’s inability to penetrate walls. This has been especially true in Europe where walls are often concrete or brick, and can be thick.

The problem is exacerbated when transmitter and receiver are not opposite each other on either side of a wall requiring the signal to pass through it diagonally.

WiFi is also looking for a significant boost in speed. Whereas the current MIMO WiFi runs at a theoretical 240Mbit/s and achieves an actual 110-115Mbit/s, next generation MIMO WiFi will have an actual throughput of around 200Mbit/s, claims Airgo. “Airgo has demo-ed 200Mbit/s for MIMO over WiFi," said Borison.

While MIMO silicon is on the market, it can’t be sold as 802.11n while the standard is not fixed. The first draft standard was agreed last week.

“Our customers market their products not as 802.11n, but as compliant with 802.11a, b, and g,” said Borison. “Our customers benefit from eliminating dead-spots in homes and offices, and by improved throughput.”

Airgo has shipped over two million MIMO chipsets and is currently on a run-rate of 200,000 chipsets a month, selling at an ASP of over $10 each.

“We will be first to market with 802.11n products which are IEEE compliant, guaranteed to be interoperable with other 802.11n products," claimed Borison.

www.airgonetworks.com