IEEE group proposes gigabit WiFi?

Gigabit speed wireless connections in the house aren't that far off, it seems. The IEEE working group is apparently preparing a new project which will outline specs for a new standard. Using frequencies slightly above current 802.11a and 802.11n standards in the 6GHZ band, and frequencies much higher in the 60Ghz band, the group is looking for links that would be able to achieve at least 500Mbps.

Both of those frequencies present problems, particularly 60GHz which would have extreme difficulty penetrating walls or even paper. Still, the group sees their next project as a good way to proceed from a/b/g/n.

Will Wi-Fi catch up to wired? Not likely, or at least not likely soon. By the time any wireless spec for data transfer reaches current wired speeds, wired speeds will have increased even further. It wasn't that long ago that 4Mbps on LANs was considered fast, and now that would be incredibly slow even for a wireless connection. It was nearly four years ago when Gigabit Wi-Fi was first discussed, following the FCC's considering of letting the high-frequency 56GHz band. Hopefully now it won't be another four years before this new standard comes to fruition.