WiGig: The new generation WiFi

WiFi has become a household name today which works in 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency ranges. WiFi uses a small number of radio channels sometimes leading to the difficulty in making connections in a busy office. The fastest WiFi standard IEEE 802.11ac can reach data transfer rates up to 1.7Gbps operating exclusively in 5GHz spectrum. Critics have often questioned its security vulnerability due to poorly protected access points. WiGig is the new brand established by the WiFi alliance for the 802.11ad standard. It operates in the unlicensed 60GHz frequency range and could yield data transfer speeds of up to 7Gbps. But theoretically using different modulation and beam-forming techniques it could yield speeds of up to 25Gbps. By running on 60GHz it can avoid the interference from other mobile signals such as 3G or 4G which operate at much lower bands.

(Source: www.extremetech.com)

WiGig is not just the faster version of WiFi but it is something more than that. It is built on the top of the WiFi and enhances the technology beyond the IP and networking. WiGig makes possible new devices that stream high-quality videos over the air, supports rapid file transfers of photos and music, and maintains high-speed Internet connections even when a crowd of users is vying for wireless access in the same small space. The usage model is shown in the figure.

The WiGig specification allows devices to communicate without wires at multi-gigabit speeds. It enables high performance wireless data, display and audio applications that supplement the capabilities of previous wireless LAN devices. According to the company that manufactures 60GHZ chips used for WiGig it can transfer 1000 photos between notebooks in five seconds. Uploading a two-minute HD video recording from a camcorder takes about a minute on a standard 802.11n Wi-Fi network, but would take a mere three seconds over WiGig. Downloading a 1080p HD movie would take three minutes instead of the hour it consumes over 802.11n (PCWorld, September 2013). But high frequency like 60GHz means a shorter wavelength leading to higher attenuation, and shorter range. WiFi operating at 2.4GHz or 5GHz has a range of hundreds of feet while WiGig extends only up to 30 feet. To make it backward compatible with WiFi technologies, WiGig tri-band enabled devices also operate at 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands along with 60GHz. The current security policies are put in place on top of the new access points and another level of security called high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) is included for content exchanges. HDPC protects either audio or video content as it travels between devices. After checking the receiver is authorized to get the file, it sends an encrypted version that only another HDCP license holder can read, meaning if anyone manages to break into the transfer, they cannot playback the file. WiGig has been designed as a low energy alternative. It claims to use five times less energy than WiFi. WiGig equipment will be available in two forms: one that makes backward compatibility with existing WiFi technology and other that does not. Users need to careful while purchasing the equipment as per their requirements. WiGig has the backing of numerous large enterprises including Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Broadcom, etc. so that it is supposed to drive the commercialization in future.