Date: 14/11/2016

More than 1B WiGig chipsets to ship to the smartphone market, predicts ABI

The ABI research predicted that the new WiGig 802.11ad WiFi chipset market is set to reach a critical stage in 2017 when the technology reaches higher level of adoption in the mobile and computing space.

In 2021 more than one billion WiGig chipsets will ship in to the smartphone market, forecasts ABI Research as it works wirelessly anywhere, transfers data between the devices and upgrades data streaming through devices without any hassles.

A major challenge for WiGig in moving to the 60GHz band is to build up an ecosystem and solid set of use cases to drive growth, says Andrew Zignani, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. WiGig-enabled docks can be costly, and OEMs may choose not to implement the technology if there are only a limited number of devices that will work with the accessories.

ABI Research expects leading companies like Broadcom, Intel, Lattice Semiconductor, MediaTek, Nitero, Peraso, and Qualcomm will lead the WiGig chipsets to grow its sales market in the coming years.

The first WiGig-enabled smartphones, will come to the market in 2017, which leads greater adoption of tri-band products that incorporate 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 60GHz technologies. ABI Research forecasts 28% of smartphones will support WiGig by 2021.

WiGig also expands the total network speed and capacity by offloading data traffic from the crowded 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands onto the 60GHz band by selecting the most useful band depending on the environment. The expansion into this unlicensed millimeter wave spectrum lays the groundwork for the continued evolution of Wi-Fi for years to come. However, due to range limitations of the technology, questions remain over how prolific WiGig will be for Internet access, particularly as new and faster Wi-Fi standards such as 802.11ax arrive to the market.

And while WiGig will ultimately play a key role in the transition to completely wireless computing, it will also drive new opportunities in AR/VR applications in which cutting the cord is even more vital and desirable. WiGig can remove a literal obstacle in the devices path to adoption.

With continual improvements in physical connectivity through Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C, in addition to the next-generation 60GHz Wi-Fi protocol (802.11ad) on the horizon, the time is now for WiGig to forge its place in the market, concludes Zignani. 2017 will be a critical year for growth and adoption of WiGig across the PC, mobile, consumer electronics industry, and beyond.
Author: Srinivasa Reddy N
Author: Srinivasa Reddy N