Samsung develops five times faster WiFi technology: Samsung Electronics

By Jiyeun Lee

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics said it has developed a WiFi technology that can increase data transmission speeds by five times the maximum rate possible with existing consumer electronics devices.

The 60 GHz WiFi technology will enable a 1GB movie to be transferred between devices in less than three seconds while allowing uncompressed high-definition videos to be streamed in real time, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in an e-mailed statement on Sunday. The technology removes the gap between theoretical and actual speeds, and exhibits actual speeds more than 10 times faster than with existing WiFi technologies, it said.

“Samsung has successfully overcome the barriers to the commercialisation” of the 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology, Kim Chang Yong, head of a Samsung R&D centre, said in the statement. “New and innovative changes await Samsung’s next-generation devices, while new possibilities have been opened up for the future development of WiFi.”

The announcement came as Samsung rolls out new products amid growing competition from Apple and Chinese companies. Samsung last week said its quarterly operating profit plunged 60% because of stagnating smartphone sales and has announced a $14.5-billion investment to build a plant in South Korea to meet demand for semiconductor chips.

Samsung said commercialisation of the 60 GHz WiFi technology is expected as early as next year. It plans to apply its new WiFi technology to awide range of products, including audio-visual and medical devices, and telecommunication equipment.