Airgo Networks, Inc. announced its third generation True MIMO chipset with support for data rates up to 240Mbps. For the first time consumers will be able to experience faster-than-wired speeds over a wireless network -- and almost three times the speed of other premium wireless technologies on the market today. This next generation of True MIMO is currently sampling to select partners, with retail product availability expected by late Q4 2005.

Airgo's new chipset now provides the speed and reliability necessary to enable content, such as media-rich Internet, large files, video, IPTV, music, photos and games, to be distributed across a wireless network without compromises in performance while remaining 100% compatible with 802.11b, g and a Wi-Fi. Offering faster connection speeds than 10/100 Ethernet, it eliminates the need for unsightly and inflexible wired connections between devices in the home, such as routers, laptops, PCs, set-top boxes, consoles and TVs. For enterprises, Airgo's third generation technology finally makes the wire-free office a reality.

"When MIMO was first unveiled it reversed over 100 years of scientific thinking by harnessing natural radio wave distortions, which were previously perceived as interference, to deliver dramatically increased speed, range and reliability," said Greg Raleigh, President and CEO of Airgo Networks. "With True MIMO Gen3 technology our team has achieved a scientific milestone by proving that wireless can surpass wired speeds."

Like its earlier generation products, Airgo's third generation chipset is based on MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output), the "spatial multiplexing" technology invented by Airgo's founders and now the widely recognized foundation for future wireless products.

"The emergence and mass adoption of MIMO-enhanced 802.11a/b/g marks the ascendance of wireless as the preeminent networking technology," said Craig Mathias, a principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group (Ashland, MA). "The ability for wireless to surpass the speed, range and reliability of wired networking is the key to making the wire-free office and digital home a reality, and will usher in a host of powerful new applications in the home entertainment and wireless communications markets."

Airgo's first and second generation MIMO technology is currently shipping in a wide range of products from companies including Belkin, Buffalo, Linksys, Netgear, Planex, Samsung, Smartvue and SOHOware. The third generation technology is expected to ship in routers, laptops and other devices by late Q4 2005.

Real-world tests show that Airgo's third generation True MIMO provides actual TCP/IP throughput of over 120Mbps with uncompressed traffic, surpassing the performance of wired 100BaseT Ethernet. In addition, Airgo's True MIMO Gen3 chipset features a single chip with two complete radios fully integrated to achieve further aggressive board-level integration, which has resulted in a 15% reduction in the overall Bill of Material (BOM) cost and a 20% reduction in power consumption.