Scottsdale, Ariz. – Wi-Fi Alliance tests to
certify wireless-network products built to the final IEEE 802.11n standard are expected
to start in late September following an early September vote by the IEEE to
ratify standard, research company In-Stat said.
Because it will have taken seven years to finalize the
standard, Wi-Fi vendors released pre-standard products in 2007, and the Alliance-certified
products based on the draft standard to ensure interoperability, In-Stat said.
To date, more than 600 products have been certified as “draft 11n, 2.0.”
Because IEEE standards “have not changed significantly in
the final stages of approval,” senior analyst Victoria Fodale said, vendors who
sell certified draft 2.0 products will be eligible to use the approved 802.11n
logo without retesting. The Alliance said it will not change the baseline
requirements of its 802.11n certification program and plans to make only small
optional additions, she noted.
