News / Wi-Fi
Draft 802 point 11n spurs early Wi-Fi products
On 3 February 2006, the source reported draft approval for IEEE 802.11n after competing proposals had delayed progress. The specification promised higher Wi-Fi throughput by combining multiple antennas and data streams, but final ratification was still expected later.
A compromise opens the market
The Enhanced Wireless Consortium had assembled a compromise involving companies associated with the competing camps. Broadcom and Marvell quickly promoted chips as conforming to the draft, seeking an early place in what they expected to be a large consumer market.
Draft conformity was not final interoperability
The source distinguished a draft specification from a completed standard and certified interoperation. Vendors could plan firmware updates if details changed, but purchasers could not assume that products from different suppliers would work together perfectly. That caution was especially important amid earlier proprietary higher-speed Wi-Fi claims. The article therefore favoured clear labelling over treating early claims as a finished standard.