14 DAY TRIAL // According to the data supplied by Intel, the specifications of the Wireless USB 1.0 will be approved in mid May.
The Wireless USB Promoter Group which will authorize the specification is composed of Agere, HP, Microsoft, NEC, Philips Semiconductors, Samsung, and Intel.
Once they are approved, the producers will start developing equipments based on this standard which will replace current USB interfaces.
Wireless USB provides a transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s within distances smaller than three meters; the speed decreases as the distance increases. USB Wireless will be based on a ultra wide band (UWB) connection, introduced by WiMedia Alliance.
If the specifications are approved by May 15, as Intel was expecting (the specifications being sent for validation on April 1and the procedure lasting 45 days), then the equipments with this interface could appear towards the end of 2005.
Still, the first half of 2006 is considered the period when the majority of producers will release these devices.
Momentarily, we have no details related to the costs added by this technology to the products aimed at the end-user. Every product fitted with USB 2.0 will be upgradeable to wireless through the use of adaptors.
Fujitsu and Staccato were the first to announce a line of digital cameras integrating the Wireless USB.
The current speed of the Wireless USB is identical to the one of USB 2.0, but by 2009, Intel intends to increase the transfer rate to 1 Gbit/s.