October 11, 1999

What's Next For Wireless Standards?
By Larry Kahaner

ith the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards board approving 802.11b, which codifies a standard for 11-Mbps signals at 2.4 GHz, the wireless LAN industry is settled in for the foreseeable future. But another standard, 802.11a, is on the table. This proposal sets standards for 24-Mbps signals at 5 GHz.

The proposed faster-speed, higher-frequency standard comes with several benefits and some drawbacks. Equipment that supports it, for instance, will have a higher price.

"We're at least two years away from a suitable product cost point," says Angela Champness, director of product and business management at Lucent Technologies Inc. in the Netherlands, who is also on the board of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. The alliance is establishing an industry- sanctioned lab to test and certify the interoperability of any member's products for the 802.11b standard.

Another issue is coverage. While higher frequencies bounce around slightly better inside a building, these signals diminish more rapidly then their lower-frequency brethren. Smaller coverage areas means more access points. On the plus side, the higher frequency will probably mean less interference to existing services.

Also on the regulatory horizon is an FCC proposal to increase from 1 MHz to 3 MHz or 5 MHz the bandwidth used for frequency hopping. A final ruling is expected by year's end. This change could have a profound effect on equipment makers and users because it will let vendors produce products that use less power at higher transmission speeds.

Return to the main story, "Clear Signals For Wireless LANs."

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