Intel Demonstrates Real-Time Switching Technology Between Wi-Fi and WiMax

Intel demonstrated a new wireless technology that could be the cornerstone for dynamical network switching between a Wi-Fi and a WiMax network at no connectivity loss. The new technology has been introduced yesterday, during the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and is the result of a research partnership between Intel, mobile manufacturer Nokia, and Nokia Siemens Networks.

The research aims at developing a mobile technology that would allow the upcoming mobile Internet devices to roam between the available networks as the user is moving through different parts of the city. The technology should be able to tune the device in to the next available network before terminating the previous connection. Listening to Internet radio or watching online video has never been simpler and disruption-free.

This technology is vital for the mainstream adoption of the mobile Internet, that currently lacks stability and decent data transfer rates. The upcoming Internet-enabled devices will be able to access multimedia streams as well as other services that are available online. According to market analyst company Gartner, the mobile Internet devices will slowly replace the current notebooks and ultra-mobile PCs by 2012.

Intel used a notebook computer enabled with the new switching technology. The computer was able to flawlessly connect to the WiMax network, while preserving the connectivity offered by the Wi-Fi one. While Intel and Nokia developed the mobile client, the Nokia-Siemens joint venture worked on the network itself. "The demo gives a first glimpse to a possible future solution," Intel research scientist Christian Maciocco said on the company's blog.

The system is based on a technology that recognizes when transition is required and connects to both networks at once. After the connection is successfully established, the device just drops one. The transition can be inflicted by either low signal or because a less-expensive network has been found within range.

Mobile Internet devices are becoming more and more popular with Internet users, and the latest statistics show that they will increase to 89 million units in 2012 from the current 3.4 million value. Intel will release its low-power processor codenamed Silverthorne, later this year and will lay the grounds to powerful, energy-efficient mobile Internet devices.