The Wi-Fi Alliance certification for products based on the 802.11ad standard, known as Wi-Fi CERTIFED WiGig, brings multi-vendor interoperability needed to proliferate WiGig devices. WiGig operates in 60 GHz spectrum, which is less congested and complements existing Wi-Fi operating in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, to enable multi-gigabit performance for a range of applications such as wireless docking, augmented reality/virtual reality, multimedia streaming, gaming, and networking applications.

WiGig uses wider channels in 60 GHz to transmit data at multi-gigabit per second speeds and with low latency at distances of up to ten meters. WiGig devices use beamforming to focus a directed signal between devices, to eliminate interference from nearby devices and to enable high performance even in dense 60GHz environments. Wider channels enable WiGig devices to achieve data rates of up to 8 Gbps, allowing users to download an HD movie in a few seconds.

"Wi-Fi Alliance certification has a strong history of accelerating broad technology adoption across the industry, and we expect 2017 to be a breakout year for WiGig on the heels of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program availability," said Phil Solis, Research Director, ABI Research. "The ecosystem for WiGig spans the mobile, PC, and consumer electronics industries across the consumer, enterprise, and service provider markets. Devices will leverage the brand and ubiquity of Wi-Fi for continued momentum across these industries."

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WiGig is a complement to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac. WiGig delivers benefits for existing networks, and enables a diverse range of new wireless experiences, including scenarios envisioned for 5G. Multi-band Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products supporting 2.4, 5, and 60 GHz allow handoff between frequency bands, selecting the most appropriate band and data rate for the application and surrounding environmental conditions. WiGig devices will range from smartphones, portable PCs, tablets, and access points, to home entertainment and consumer electronics.

The first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WiGig products which comprise the test bed for interoperability certification are:

• Dell Latitude E7450/70
• Intel Tri-Band Wireless
• Peraso 60GHz USB Adapter Reference Design Kit
• Qualcomm Technologies 802.11ad Wi-Fi client and router solution (based on the QCA9500 chipset)
• Socionext 802.11ad Reference Adapter