Společnost Intel zveřejnila plány dalšího urychlení konvergence výpočetních a komunikačních technologií pomocí modernějších čipů.
V rámci přednášek na Intel Developer Foru hovořil Pat Gelsinger, senior viceprezident a CTO společnosti Intel, o konceptu „Radio Free Intel”, který zahrnuje integraci vysílače přímo do budoucích procesorů Intel, což zajistí bezdrátové komunikaci v podstatě všudypřítomnost. Dále Eric Mentzer, viceprezident a CTO Communications Group společnosti Intel, představil plány na urychlení celosvětového zavádění širokopásmové bezdrátové infrastruktury.
„Během příštího desetiletí bude většina lidstva komunikovat bezdrátově,“ řekl Pat Gelsinger. „Společnost Intel zajišťuje nižší ceny, škálovatelnost a rychlejší tempo inovací rádiových technologií, a urychluje tak konvergenci výpočetních a komunikačních technologií. Ve výsledku bude bezdrátová komunikace doslova všudypřítomná a pro uživatele zcela transparentní. Díky její flexibilitě, vysokým kapacitám a standardizované bezdrátové infrastruktuře bude její význam stále růst.“
Dále pokračuje tisková zpráva v anglickém jazyce:
The Renaissance of Radios
Intel believes that in the future ubiquitous, wireless communication will be enabled through the deployment of industry standards and will be powered by Intel silicon and
technology building blocks. Gelsinger indicated Intel is fueling the ΓÇ₧renaissance of radiosΓÇ¥ by making significant progress to develop silicon radios using industry-leading low-cost, scalable manufacturing process technology.
The company said it successfully developed core radio components using its 0.18-micron digital CMOS process, including the worldΓÇÖs fastest voltage controlled oscillator (a radio component that determine the frequency at which signals are transmitted and received) in CMOS operating at speeds greater than 75 GHz. By building these and other analog radio components with a digital manufacturing process, Intel aims to lower the cost of adding wireless capabilities to future products.
While silicon radios are at the heart of the Radio Free Intel strategy, Intel is also developing a radio platform that will adapt to its environment and its user. Intel has already achieved success toward the development of an adaptive radio platform and has created key innovations in the areas of channel estimation, adaptive modulation techniques and smart antennas to optimize the throughput, range, power and ultimately, the performance of wireless communication. These innovations help to ensure development, adoption and co-existence of global wireless standards.
Intel is also playing a significant role in the development of 802.11n, a next-generation WLAN technology with significantly higher throughput. The new WLAN standard would enable approximately three times the performance of current 802.11 solutions, allowing users to transfer more data wirelessly in a set period of time.
In addition, the company is researching adaptive communication technologies for future devices that communicate with each other transparently while also adapting to the dynamic needs of the user. Gelsinger said that this new class of mobile devices, called ΓÇ₧universal communicatorsΓÇ¥ will transparently and seamlessly connect to multiple networks and services. He demonstrated seamless roaming across WLAN and WWAN networks using a universal communicator prototype developed by Intel researchers.
Broadband Wireless Infrastructure
In his keynote address, Mentzer explained how wireless technology is an important element of Intel’s corporate focus on the convergence of computing and communications. Intel’s wireless product plans for 2004 will further advance broadband wireless technology. Future wireless networking products for the Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology platform include an 802.11b/g wireless networking component that will be in production before the end of 2003, and an 802.11a/b/g wireless networking component that will be in production in the first half of 2004.
IntelΓÇÖs efforts to develop silicon based on the IEEE 802.16a* standard will provide a broadband wireless access alternative to existing ΓÇ₧last mileΓÇ¥ methods such as cable and digital subscriber lines (DSL). The IEEE 802.16a standard is a wireless broadband access technology that links Wi-Fi hotspots and provides broadband wireless connectivity to businesses and homes.
ΓÇ₧It is expected that networks based on the 802.16a standard will have a range up to 30 miles and the ability to transfer data, voice and video at speeds of up to 70 Megabits-per-second (Mbps),ΓÇ¥ Mentzer said. Intel has signed agreements with leading OEMΓÇÖs in broadband wireless access equipment to deliver low-cost WiMAX-certified equipment based on Intel 802.16a silicon in the second half of 2004.