MegaMIMO (PDF): Researchers at MIT claim to have created a network-boosting technology that could triple the speed of Wi-Fi and double its range.
The MIT team has devised a system that can overcome the bandwidth limitations of any Wi-Fi that result from the limited spectrum available for transferring data to and from wireless devices.
Researchers in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have developed new signal processing algorithms that allow multiple routers, and other wireless access points, to simultaneously transmit data to multiple recipients, using the same frequency and without interference.
The researchers describe the method, which they call MegaMIMO 2.0, in a new paper detailing how real-time multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems work, which they claim can transfer data up to three times faster than existing routers and double their range.
Such systems could improve wireless speeds, and the researchers believe they would be particularly useful in areas with heavy traffic congestion, such as concert venues and conference centers. The research could also change how businesses and universities offer connectivity to thousands of users, allowing them to use available spectrum more efficiently.
The technique relies on MIMO, a wireless technology that bounces signals off walls, ceilings, and objects to hit a receiving antenna multiple times, from different angles. As Intel says about MIMO technology, adding more antennas typically equates to higher speeds. For example, a router with three antennas can support speeds of up to 600Mbps, while a device with two antennas can reach 300Mbps.
However, the developers of MegaMIMO 2.0 argue that most antennas cannot solve problems related to the radio spectrum.
"In today's wireless world, you can't solve the spectrum crisis by using more transmitters, because everyone will still interfere with each other," said Ezzeldin Hamed, a doctoral student and lead author of the study.
“The answer is to get all these access points to work together at the same time to efficiently use the available spectrum.”
According to MIT, the new technology will be commercially available soon, although there is no indication of when.
