News
Research firm predicts smartphone market will account for 180 million WiGig chipset shipments next year.
The 802.11ad WiFi standard, known as WiGig, is expected to see mainstream adoption from 2017, predicted ABI Research this week.
WiGig uses the unlicensed 60 GHz band, and promises multi-gigabit connection speeds. Using such high frequencies presents a problem regarding signal propagation, but this can be mitigated with beam-forming.
WiGig hit the headlines recently when it emerged that Facebook is experimenting with it as a potential means of providing gigabit broadband in urban areas.
On Wednesday, ABI Research predicted that 180 million WiGig smartphone chipsets will be shipped in 2017.
"WiGig has a bright future across the mobile, PC, networking, and accessory space, and beyond, with 2017 marking a critical juncture in its development and success," said Andrew Zignani, an industry analyst at ABI Research, in a statement.
ABI Research expects the first WiGig-capable smartphones to launch later this year, albeit in limited quantities. The company said the 802.11ad standard is also beginning to gain traction with WiFi router makers.
By 2021, ABI Research expects total WiGig chipset shipments to reach 1.5 billion, with the smartphone market accounting for almost half of that figure.
"We expect to see many IC (integrated circuit) suppliers in this space taking steps to promote and scale the technology this year to prepare," Zignani predicted.
