IBM and MediaTek Cooperate on 60 GHz Wireless Chipsets

By Doug Lung
published

While Microsoft and Philips concentrate on getting access to TV “white space” for wireless devices that will be hard pressed to come close to data rates possible with 2.4 and 5.8 GHz wireless cards, IBM and MediaTek are looking at using much higher frequencies that offer much great bandwidth.

A joint initiative between IBM and MediaTek will combine IBM’s millimeter-wave 60 GHz technology with MediaTek’s chip design expertise to develop wireless chip sets capable of transferring a 10 GB file in 5 seconds, according to MediaTek, instead of the 18 minutes required using a current Wi-Fi link. The high data rate allows uncompressed HDTV to be streamed wirelessly. This could replace wire links between set-top boxes, various HDTV playback and recording devices and HDTV displays.

“This collaborative effort will enable consumers to wirelessly transfer large multimedia data files around their home and/or offices in seconds,” said Dr. T.C. Chen, vice president for science and technology at IBM Research. “This will enable a world where you can have your entertainment when you want and where you want it.”

Comments and story leads are always welcome. Email me at dlung@transmitter.com.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.