Qualcomm has announced plans for a new technology it said could triple Wi-Fi speeds in homes, offices and in crowded public network areas.
Currently, all devices within a certain area compete for a finite amount of bandwidth. This competition often results in slower services for all users, especially in crowded urban areas where more devices are trying to access the sme network at once.
“On a network like this, streaming or video chatting can be like sitting in the driver’s seat at rush hour: you’ll get to your destination, but it’s going to take some time,” Qualcomm said.
Following seven years of research, the company has developed a new approach that allows networks to transmit data to multiple groups of users simultaneously using algorithms that detect and adapt to changes in network usage, device movement and other conditions. Known as MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple-input multiple-output), the technology essentially multiplies network capacity while also using it more efficiently to speed up transmissions, the company explained.
“Using MU-MIMO is like using the carpool lane: the Wi-Fi Highway doesn’t change, but grouping up with other users lets you go much faster while de-congesting the other lanes,” Qualcomm said.
However, the company added, in order to MU-MIMO function, devices on both sides of the connection must be enabled. Qualcomm plans to sell MU-MIMO-enabled chips to manufacturers of wireless routers and other networking products, as well as to companies that make smartphones, tablets and even automobiles.
