The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, overseers of all things wireless, has given the final 802.11n wireless Ethernet standard its seal of approval.
The 802.11n standard, which promises data rates exceeding 300Mbps, took exactly seven years from its inception, or six years from the completion of its first draft standard.
“More than 400 individuals from equipment and silicon suppliers, service providers, systems integrators, consultant organizations and academic institutions from more than 20 countries participated in a seven-year effort leading to IEEE 802.11n’s ratification,” the IEEE said.
“This was an extraordinarily wide-ranging technical challenge that required the sustained effort and concentration of a terrific variety of participants. When we started in 2002, many of the technologies addressed in 802.11n were university research topics and had not been implemented.”
The IEEE also said that devices based on any one of some dozen interim 802.11n draft specs are compatible with the final standard. This statement puts a long-standing debate about potential interoperability woes for the earliest 802.11n devices to rest.
New products based on the final standard are expected for the new year as the complete document will not be published until mid-October.
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