IBM Wireless Chip Capable of HD Transfers

IBM said it will unveil a new high-speed, wide capacity chip based on the 802.15.3c spec, which will be capable of passing HD files at distances up to 10 meters under optimum conditions. Current samples of the IBM chip are clipping along at about 600 MB per second; the goal for IBM is more like 1.4-1.5 GB, the company said.

IBM said it's currently exploring consumer applications for the chip, such as HD video transfer. The firm said wireless coverage will work within a conference room but wall penetration is not a current goal, according to published reports.

Wireless chips that can enable the transfer of very large files, like HD, rapidly over relatively short distances have been elusive in the past (as proponents of Bluetooth and Ultras Wide Band can attest). It's mostly because of the long periods of time the new standards that strive to become universal will spend in various committees.

The IBM chip reportedly taps into a portion of the spectrum at around 30 to 300 GHz (the so-called "millimeter wave frequency bands"). Military defense contractors reportedly use this spectrum the most, largely due to the difficulty (and, therefore, expensive) in using these segments of spectrum real estate.