Qualcomm has just announced a new series of 60GHz Wi-Fi chipsets – the QCA64x8 and QCA64x1 that can deliver 10+Gbps network speeds.
It looks like it will be the start of a new generation of super-fast Wi-Fi standards that will be used in the future. However, don't expect it to be used for web browsing.
Current Wi-Fi technology is already on the verge of a major upgrade with Wi-Fi 6.Over the next year, we'll see phones, laptops, routers, and other internet-connected devices feature Wi-Fi 6 support.
But that's not what the announcement is about. The new chipsets are going to be used for specific purposes, like high-speed wireless data transfer to VR headsets. Essentially, it's like a wireless connection created for a specific purpose.
This technology is officially called 802.11ay, also known as WiGig. It uses 60GHz hardware to deliver more speed in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands found on common Wi-Fi routers.
But high speed comes with a drawback – the signal cannot pass through walls. This means that we can only use it when the transmitter and receiver are in the same room, without any obstacles between them.
This limitation makes it unclear whether this technology will be successful, but it could significantly improve the VR gaming experience and similar purposes. In a way, WiGig will compete with 5G, which uses radio waves in a similar way to offer fast speeds over a limited distance.
But all of that is going to happen in the future, and right now the only thing we need to focus on is the upcoming Wi-Fi 6. So make sure the router you buy has support for it.
