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Cisco to Introduce 1Gbps 802.11ac Access Point Next Year

By Wong Chung Wee - on 16 Jul 2012, 12:15pm

Cisco to Introduce 1Gbps 802.11ac Access Point Next Year

Cisco will break the 1 Gigabit speed barrier for wireless networks as it plans to release a 1Gbps 802.11ac access point next year. This add-on module is compatible to its existing 802.11n-based Cisco Aironet 3600 access point, making it easy to join the 1Gbps 802.11ac bandwagon!

The Cisco Aironet 3600 802.11-n access point. (Image Source: Cisco)

Cisco also claims that they would be the first to introduced 1 Gbps speeds on the enterprise wireless networks once their 1Gbps 802.11ac access point is available in 2013.

According to Sujai Hajela, Cisco's vice president and general manager of the wireless networking business unit, the modular feature of the 1Gbps access point allows businesses, who are going to invest in 802.11n wireless networks, to future-proof their infrastructure investments. They can switch from their 802.11n networks to networks that are 1Gbps 802.11ac-compliant easily.

eWeek stated that Cisco may claim to be first-off-the-blocks with their 1Gbps access point, the site noted that other competitors like Aruba Networks and HP may not be too far behind. A caveat to early adopters of this new technology should be aware that breaking the 1Gbps speed barrier are dependent upon a number of variables, including radio frequency (RF) interference, the kind of antenna used, the strength of the radio in the endpoint devices.

As a matter of fact, eWeek stated that most devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets are still shipped without 802.11ac-enabled radio antenna. However, 802.11ac-enabled endpoint devices are likely to ship, once such access points are commercially available.

(Source: Cisco, eWeek)

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