D-Link's supporting 802.11ac for speedy (wireless) gonzales
With the crushing inevitability of a rude email from the IRS, D-Link is announcing it'll be supporting the blossoming 802.11ac WiFi standard. It'll include the technology in all its forthcoming gear, vaguely described as "in the pipeline." For the uninitiated: 802.11ac is a Gigabit wireless standard that will melt the faces of anyone who thinks 802.11 is quick. It only uses the 5GHz band, unlike the elder standard, which works across the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands and the company has announced that the gear will be backwards-compatible with your older gear, which we hadn't had confirmation about beforehand. Press release is where you expect it to be, folks.
Show full PR text
D-Link Ushers in New Era of Wi-Fi with 802.11ac Technology Support
Support for New Standard Pushes Home Networking Boundaries to Deliver Gigabit Wireless
and Most Comprehensive Connectivity Available to Date
INTERNATIONAL CES, LAS VEGAS – Jan. 10, 2012 – D-Link today announced its support of the next-generation Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac, to deliver gigabit wireless speeds, higher capacity and broader coverage to home networks. D-Link's 802.11ac technology support underscores its ongoing commitment to provide the industry's most comprehensive home network connectivity, allowing consumers to enjoy an unlimited range of high-bandwidth and wireless streaming applications – from streaming 1080p HD and 3D content to a phone, tablet or PC more quickly, to sending multiple streams of video to a TV, to broader coverage with fewer Wi-Fi dead spots throughout the home.
"The demand for faster mobile networks is growing exponentially as the number of devices connected to a Wi-Fi home network continues to increase," said William Brown, associate vice president of product development, D-Link North America. "The new 802.11ac standard will allow consumers to get industry-leading bandwidth for high quality online content, allowing them to take full advantage of their entertainment systems and wireless devices. D-Link is excited to support this new standard in a range of products coming down the pipeline later this year."
Developed at the IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the 802.11ac standard offers much faster data speeds than the current 802.11n, at up to one gigabit per second, by sending multiple simultaneous streams of data from access points to devices. Promising easier set up, faster speeds and greater coverage, 802.11ac is ideal for wireless HD and 3D streaming (450Mbps + 650Mbps), lightly-compressed wireless display and high-speed synchronization. Using only the 5Ghz band, compared with 802.11n which uses both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz, this new standard allows for less interference and a cleaner connection. D-Link® products supporting 802.11ac will also be backwards compatible with 802.11n, ensuring that current products and networks do not become obsolete.
D-Link products supporting the new 802.11ac standard will be available in the later part of 2012. For more information on the technology and supported products, visit www.dlink.com.
