What a 100 G Wireless Personal Area Network Could Mean for Telecom

The IEEE said it has created a study group to explore ultra-high-speed, short-range wireless communications to support wireless personal area networks (WPANs). The target speed is 100 Gbps over distances as great as several hundred meters using unlicensed spectrum in the terahertz range.

One goal of this technology is to allow various wireless devices to communicate with one another, like a much higher-bandwidth alternative to Bluetooth. The new study group will develop a project proposal for an amendment to the IEEE 802.15.3 standard for information technology for local and metropolitan area networks. Potentially, service providers could also add previously unheard-of cutting edge multimedia offerings to their video services. WPANs also represent an opportunity for service providers to expand their tech support offerings by helping customers install these devices in their homes or businesses. The technology may have another potential application of particular interest to wireless service providers in wireless backhaul and fronthaul, the latter which describes the connection from the top to bottom of a cell tower. While currently, fronthaul connections are often made using fiber – which can be a major challenge to install and maintain in bad weather – WPAN may be able to simplify fronthaul equipment installation and maintenance. Third, the ability to use 100 G high-bandwidth wireless connectivity in data centers may be a good way to simplify installation and maintenance of data center equipment as well.