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Some companies are considering ditching WiFi for private 5G
No matter how much it's changed our lives, WiFi can be endlessly annoying because of how spotty and unreliable it often is, even for those of us in small homes. It can prove a bigger headache still for companies that need reliable connections for their devices, particularly across a wide area. So, some businesses are looking towards a newer method of keeping their equipment and employees connected: 5G.
Broadcom's new WiFi chips aim to keep your video streams flowing
All that hardware strewn throughout your crib is only as good as the sum of its parts. Broadcom is one of the firms bent on evolving those parts, and today at CES the company's introducing two new chips that'll pervade the tech of 2014 (even though you likely won't know it). First up is the BCM43569 (2x2 MIMO), which blends 5G WiFi, aka 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.1 standards with a USB 3.0 interface. The combo SoC is intended for the next generation of smart TVs and set-top boxes, allowing simultaneous WiFi/BT connections to other devices and ensuring solid video-streaming performance in your airwave-saturated home. The BCM43602 (3x3 MIMO) 5G WiFi chip, which instead uses a PCI Express interface, is destined for future routers and set-top boxes. It, too, is slated to improve the reliability of video streaming over 802.11ac by assuming the brunt of wireless processing work usually executed by those products' internal CPUs. Both new chips also support beamforming for maintaining stronger connections, and are available for OEMs to play with right now.
Broadcom to bring 5G WiFi to the masses with entry-level combo chips
As we've mentioned before, 5G WiFi, aka 802.11ac is a good thing, unless you hate speed and range. After launching its integrated BCM4335 chip on flagship handsets like Samsung's Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One, Broadcom has announced new 5G WiFi combo chips for lower-end smartphones, PCs, notebooks and tablets. Budget handheld devices can now be equipped with the BCM4339, which Broadcom says brings the same performance as its top-end mobile chip while integrating power and low-noise amplifiers for easier integration. Meanwhile, the BCM43162 is targeted at desktop and notebook PCs with direct support for the Microsoft's Windows OS. Customers are now sampling both chips, and Broadcom expects volume production in the second half of the year -- another possible reason to put off that notebook purchase a bit longer.
Broadcom promises triple-speed 5G WiFi for mobiles in early 2013
5G WiFi, aka 802.11ac, aka muy rapido. We don't just want it in routers and laptops, we want it everywhere -- which is why Broadcom's firm date of Q1 2013 for its BCM4335 mobile chip is good news. The add-on belongs to a mainstream line of 40nm combo radios that handle WiFi (including regular 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands), Bluetooth 4.0 and FM, which means there's every likelihood it'll appear in numerous smartphones and tablets soon after production starts. Broadcom promises tripled transfer speeds, "dramatically" improved range and "six times greater" power efficiency compared to Wireless N, but then again, so does the competition -- and a company like Qualcomm may be able to deliver it in even fewer nanometers.
ASUS G75VW is world's first notebook to sport Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi, we go hands-on (video)
In the back corner of ASUS' brightly lit Computex booth there's a simulated gamer's lair, complete with dim LED lighting, the sound of frequent gun fire and a small handful of nondescript gaming notebooks. The G75VW is one such device, but in addition to the Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GTX 670M and massive 17.3-inch LCD, this otherwise standard portable rig includes one very important distinction: it's the very first of its kind to pack 802.11ac WiFi. Approaching gigabit Ethernet speeds, this 5th-generation WiFi-equipped notebook supports up to 900Mbps of wireless throughput -- though we certainly wouldn't expect to see such speeds smack in the middle of a tech trade show exhibition hall. Instead, the device performed within the 200-400Mbps range, only jumping beyond that upper limit for a second or two during our demo. You can't get 802.11ac without a properly equipped router, so we weren't surprised to see an ASUS RT-AC66U positioned an inch away from the lappy's rear. Computex may be an appropriate venue to launch the first 802.11ac-capable computer, but it's certainly not the best place to demo any flavor of wireless technology, so we look forward to putting the new spec through its paces in a slightly less saturated setting. For now, you can get a closer look at the router and G75VW gaming system in our gallery below, followed by our hands-on video just after the break.%Gallery-157453%
ASUS first out the gate with 802.11ac laptop according to Broadcom
Oddly, ASUS has been mum on this particular Computex announcement, but we're going to take Broadcom at its word for now. According to the wireless chip manufacturer, ASUS's G75VW gaming laptop will have the honor of being the first machine on the market with an 802.11ac radio inside. During a press event, Broadcom's Michael Hurlston dubbed the PC the "World's first 5G Wi-Fi laptop," saying that it would be available "very shortly." Our cohorts over at Engadget Spanish got hands-on with the lappy last month, but found it's spec sheet decidedly lacking in next-gen WiFi brags. The G75VW had Ivy Bridge under the hood, a 1080p display and a GeForce GTX 670M -- but no 802.11ac. Presumably the discrepancy is due to a planned product refresh, and not to an error on Broadcom's part. ASUS also has an 802.11ac router on deck, and Hurlston claims a desktop motherboard is in the works too. For more, check out the watch on your wrist... it's waiting time.
