Wireless USB Poised to Cut the Cable

Short Range Wireless Interconnection around the Corner

by Yaroslav Lyssenko

[ 10/18/2006 | 11:59 PM ]

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The computer industry is still working on the paperless office, but new short-range wireless technologies on tap for next year could at last bring about the cable-free desktop. The PC and consumer electronics industries have been talking up Certified Wireless USB (Universal Serial Bus) links as a replacement for those tried-and-true USB cables connecting the PC to everything from iPods to keyboards.

Unfortunately delays have plagued more than a few companies trying to make this a reality. But according to an article on Cnet News.com, by the end of this year, the products that rid your desktop of that tangle of wires should finally start hitting the market.

“It’s happening now for a combination of reasons. The WiMedia Alliance is planning to make the technology known as “ultrawideband,” or UWB, work among a wide variety of consumer electronics devices, from PCs and printers to external hard drives and MP3 players. The USB Implementers Forum, the 1394 Trade Association and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) have chosen the WiMedia Alliance’s version of UWB technology as the foundation for their next-generation networking technology,” writes Cnet News.com.

UWB technology can deliver data rates at up to 480 megabits per second at around 3 meters, with speeds dropping off as the range grows to a limit of about 10 meters. Real-world speeds will probably be a little slower, but this is as fast as the wired version of USB 2.0 and much faster than current Wi-Fi networks are capable of transmitting data.

“This stuff is plumbing. It’s important that it be there, it’s going to be handy for getting rid of cables hanging around your desk,” said Roger Kay, an analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates.

However, like many future technologies, high-bandwidth short-range wireless has been a long time in the making.

“Progress has been delayed in part by a pitched battle between the WiMedia Alliance, led by Intel, and the UWB Forum, led by Freescale, to determine the industry-standard implementation for UWB technology. The WiMedia backers, which also include Sony, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard and Samsung, are pushing forward with chips and devices under the Certified Wireless USB brand,” explains Cnet News.com.

• Cnet News.com: Wireless USB Poised to Cut the Cable.