The first next generation wireless LAN products have been released in the UK by Intel. These conform to the 802.11a standard and allow a five-fold performance increase on Wi-Fi networks. The previous standard, 802.11b, functioned at 2.4Ghz while this performs at 5.2Ghz.
Following the first large-scale deployment of the new system at the Cannes Film Festival this new and much faster form of Wi-Fi is looking to have a bright future across the continent. The adapters required to use the new networks are now available for notebooks and access points, while desktop computer adapters are set to follow later this year. There will also be dual adapters released some time in the next few months for both 802.11a and 802.11b networks.
Intel have stated that they see a conflict of interest in the area and foresee a "standards war" in the Wi-Fi arena, especially with the upcoming 802.11g standard which is touted as a way of converging the path of the two current standards. The general manager of the Intel communications division has stated: "We are in the middle of a recession. This a critical time for the industry. We do not need a standards war. By the end of the year we need to have all the standards converging.".
Legally this standard hasn"t been approved in Europe so don"t expect widespread deployments for a few weeks, although an announcement is expected in a couple of weeks that will allow the use of the new frequency range. This announcement will also allow commercial use of the system so large telecommunications players are bound to get in on the act.