Samsung develops five time faster Wi-Fi technology

Bloomberg | Oct 13, 2014, 11.18 AM IST

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics said it has developed a Wi-fi technology that can increase data transmission speeds by five times the maximum rate possible with existing consumer electronics devices.

The 60GHz Wi-fi technology will enable a 1GB movie to be transferred between devices in less than three seconds while allowing uncompressed high-definition videos to be streamed in real time, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in an e-mailed statement on Sunday. The technology removes the gap between theoretical and actual speeds, and exhibits actual speeds more than 10 times faster than with existing Wi-fi technologies, it said.

"Samsung has successfully overcome the barriers to the commercialization" of the 60GHz Wi-fi technology, Kim Chang Yong, head of a Samsung R&D centre, said in the statement. "New and innovative changes await Samsung's next-generation devices, while new possibilities have been opened up for the future development of Wi-fi."

The announcement came as Samsung rolls out new products amid growing competition from Apple and Chinese companies. Samsung last week said its quarterly operating profit plunged 60% because of stagnating smartphone sales and has announced a $14.5-billion investment to build a plant in South Korea to meet demand for semiconductor chips.

Samsung said commercialization of the 60GHz Wi-fi technology is expected as early as next year. It plans to apply its new Wi-fi technology to awide range of products, including audio-visual and medical devices, and telecommunication equipment.