The industry group behind UWB (ultrawideband) high-speed wireless has certified the first UWB chipsets, a move that helps usher in technologies including wireless USB and the next generation of Bluetooth. UWB is the radio technology underlying those systems. It is designed to deliver 480Mbps throughput over a range of a few meters, making data transfers among PCs, peripherals, and consumer electronics equipment faster.
As data storage capacities grow, moving and synchronizing content among heavily loaded devices will take longer unless data-transfer speeds increase. Wired USB 2.0 already delivers as much as 480Mbps, but consumers have grown used to connecting devices wirelessly through using IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs. UWB is better for close-range personal area networks than is 802.11, and it helps battery life with lower power consumption, according to supporting industry group, the WiMedia Alliance. "If you don"t want to wait hours to make a transaction, you need a very, very fast communication link," said Stephen Wood, president of the WiMedia Alliance.