Qualcomm unveils high performance 802.11n chips

Qualcomm made a couple of impressive moves in the WiFi space. The chip vendor said it is offering the industry's first dual-band 802.11n WiFi solution with 4x4 MIMO (multiple input multiple output) that reaches peak data rates of 600 Mbps. Qualcomm said the chip, called the WCN 1320, is designed to enable users to distribute multiple simultaneous streams of high-definition video, voice and data throughout the home via consumer devices.

Glenn Fleishman at Wi-Fi Net News said the move is a big deal given the fact that companies have had the option to incorporate four radios and a 4x4 antenna array for those kinds of data speeds, but the cost has been a barrier.

Qualcomm also introduced a single chip 802.11n-compliant WiFi solution for handsets and mobile devices. The WCN1312 is designed to support data rates of up to 72 Mbps for a better user experience on the mobile phone, especially pertaining to services like streaming video. Qualcomm will begin sampling the chip in the second quarter with volume production expected to happen in the fourth quarter. The chip is part of Qualcomm's end-to-end solution for 802.11n, which also includes the WCN1320 solution.

For more:
- read this release
- check out Wi-Fi Net News
- take a look at this release

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