CSIRO to demonstrate 6 gigabit wireless link

Stan Beer
Monday, 04 December 2006 13:32

Business IT - Technology

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific Industrial and Research Organization (CSIRO) researchers will this week demonstrate what is claimed to be the fastest and most efficient point to point wireless link ever achieved. The wireless link has the capability to transmit data at 6 gigabit per second over short distances.

Multi-gigabit links operate at speeds that leave current wireless networks far behind. For example the entire works of Shakespeare could be transmitted over a one gigabit per second link in four hundredths of a second or a full DVD movie in 34 seconds.

In the demonstration, which will take place at the CSIRO ICT Centre in Sydney, a CSIRO team intends to transmit 16 simultaneous streams of DVD quality video over a 250 metre link with no loss of quality or delays. The demonstration will only use one tenth of the capacity of the link.

"The system is suitable for situations where a high speed link is needed but it is too expensive or logistically difficult to lay fibre - such as in congested urban environments, and across valleys and rivers," says Dr Jay Guo, Director of the Wireless Technologies Laboratory at CSIRO.

"The system is also ideal for creating networks to meet short term needs such as emergencies and large events."