The Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology has produced a CMOS chip capable of transmitting 60 GHz digital RF signals. This short-range new technology, if finalized, could offer many benefits, such as extremely fast wireless peer-to-peer connectivity in short ranges between virtually any device. That chip can even make the cables used nowadays for connection obsolete. Among the many potential 60 GHz applications are virtually wireless desktop-computer setups and data centers, wireless home DVD systems, in-store kiosks that transfer movies to handheld devices in seconds, and the potential to move gigabytes of photos or video from a camera to a PC almost instantly without cables. The single-chip CMOS component integrates a low-power radio with an embedded antenna, that draws only 100 milliwatts of power when operating, making it not only very small but extremely efficient too. GEDC researchers have already achieved very high data transfer rates that promise unprecedented short-range wireless speeds - 15 Gbps at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters and 5 Gbps at 5 meters, enough for transmitting uncompressed 720p or 1080i video.
"We believe this new standard represents a major step forward," said Joy Laskar, a member of the Ecma 60 GHz standards committee and director of the Georgia Electronic Design Center ( GEDC ) at Georgia Tech. "Consumers could see products capable of ultra-fast short-range data transfer within two or three years." The specifications for this technology, which involves chips capable of sending RF signals in the 60 GHz range, are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.