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802.11g WLAN Shipments to Exceed 802.11b

Online Staff, Electronics Weekly -- Electronic News, 3/31/2004

While IEEE 802.11b was the most popular WLAN protocol in 2003, its higher speed cousin, IEEE 802.11g, will surpass it in 2004, according to a study by technology research firm ABI.

Moreover, by 2009 the New York-based wireless market researcher estimates that 95 million WiFi networking equipment devices will be shipped worldwide.

Actual sales of 802.11g equipment is also already said to be exceeding 802.11b, as consumers tend to favor products offering the fastest data transfer rates. This includes standard and standards-plus equipment -- products that work at standard WiFi data rates when used with equipment from other manufacturers that do not use the same proprietary technology.

One of the biggest drivers behind the boom in WiFi technology is the ongoing growth in broadband installations, according to ABI. DSL and cable modems users tend to have enough bandwidth to be able to share it among multiple computers without a noticeable reduction in service quality. In addition, wireless networking, as opposed to conventional hardwired networking, maximizes the geographical freedom of access without having to accommodate long lengths of unsightly cable.

In addition, ABI said that multimedia applications such as streaming video from a DVD player to a plasma display, for instance, will further advance the popularity of high speed wireless networking in the future.