The Wi-Fi Alliance said Wednesday that it will launch its 802.11n draft 2.0 certification program in June for the advanced version of the popular wireless technology that's expected to receive its final ratification in June 2009.

The 2.0 draft has the potential to deliver as much as five times the throughput as earlier Wi-Fi releases, paving the way for the delivery of streaming high-definition video, online gaming, and fast transfer of photos and music.

"Wi-Fi Certified 802.11n is a game-changing milestone for Wi-Fi technology that enables the truly networked home," said Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik in a statement. Wi-Fi products carrying the alliance's certification stamp must pass testing for industry-wide interoperability, security protection, and backward compatibility with previous iterations of Wi-Fi equipment.

The alliance noted that its recent research conducted with Kelton Research found that 78% of current Wi-Fi users are interested in upgrading their Wi-Fi gear in order to obtain more robust wireless service.

Companies that participated in alliance testing for draft 2.0 that now have certified draft 2.0 gear include Atheros, Broadcom, Cisco, Intel, Marvell, and Ralink MIMObility.

Another wireless networking provider, Colubris Networks, reported this week that its Intelligence Mobility Solution can deliver four times the performance of the current Wi-Fi generation products; the company said it has made an effort to ensure that migration from legacy Wi-Fi to draft 2.0 works efficiently.

The marketplace has become impatient with the certification process for 802.11n. No less than a dozen vendors, including Apple, Atheros, Broadcom, Cisco, Intel, Marvell, and Ralink MIMObility already have products containing the high-speed wireless technology with the promise that the equipment will be compatible with final certification.

As a standard, 802.11n is an important speed boost from current Wi-Fi technology. While 802.11a and 80.211g transfer files at 54 Mbps, the 802.11n specification runs at speeds of up to 74 Mbps indoors at a distance of more than 220 feet.