Wireless portfolio allows full MU-MIMO and OFDMA uplink

Consumer behaviour has outpaced technology and it is predicted that the average household will have 50 devices by 2020. And there is now such a diversification of devices that connect over WiFi that it’s created a whole unique set of problems.

This proliferation of connected devices has created massive congestion in the home, which of course is multiplied many times over when applied to campuses and enterprise deployments.

There is now a unique set of problems that have gone beyond how many of us used to use the internet. People used to click on a link, download some data and watch a video. In days gone by users may have thought that it’s ok if the internet works 99% of the time, if there’s quite a bit of latency between when data is requested and when it is received, and if uploading has to take place at night due differences in bandwidth.

However, that is not a true depiction of the modern user, who Marvell have coined as ‘Generation Upload’. They see the internet very differently. Creators, gamers and collaborators have a whole new set of expectations that are being thrust upon WiFi at the same time as it is being over-burdened by a massive amount of devices, high definition streaming video, social media and cloud applications. Yes, everyone loves WiFi, but the bad news is that it’s being stretched in a way that is breaking many WiFi deployments.

Delivering consistent performance and reliability is becoming increasingly difficult for networks already straining to support a dramatic increase in connected devices, high definition streaming video, social media and cloud applications. Major technology advancements are needed to better support today’s diverse users that are driving higher end emerging use cases such as virtual and augmented reality, live streaming and smart cities.

Marvell believes the latest 802.11ax standard will bring major enhancements to wireless networks while maintaining full backward compatibility. The standard dramatically improves network performance and reliability in dense deployments and crowded public venues like airports, stadiums and shopping malls. The new Marvell wireless system-on-chips (SoCs) have the industry’s most complete 802.11ax implementation with full MU-MIMO and OFDMA uplink and downlink, multi-gigabit peak speeds, precision location, cloud management, best-in-class beamforming and integrated Bluetooth 5 technology.

“WiFi technology must scale dramatically to meet the rapidly growing bandwidth and quality demands of the modern home, enterprise and connected car. Marvell contributed extensively to the 802.11ax specification and is now introducing an 802.11ax family of products that include the industry’s most complete feature set and highest performance. Our newly announced 802.11ax family delivers consistent performance, offers our customers unprecedented solution flexibility and state-of-the-art technologies for precision location and integrated Bluetooth 5,” said Mark Montierth, Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless Connectivity Business Unit at Marvell.

“As a leader and pioneer in building WiFi products for consumers and small businesses, we are thrilled by Marvell’s announcement today on their 802.11ax solutions,” said Eu Chong Son, Vice President of engineering at Linksys. “User behaviors are constantly evolving and we welcome such technological innovations so that we can be a step ahead in developing solutions and products that ultimately bring delightful experiences to our customers.”

“Consumers of the future will demand smarter, faster and higher bandwidth wireless systems which will pressure the market to scale bandwidth rapidly and seamlessly without compromising security, performance and latency. Regardless of industry – cloud, social media, machine learning, 5G or in-car networking – 802.11ax solutions such as Marvell’s new portfolio will enable companies to optimise their network efficiency as they evolve with next-level digital transformation in mind,” said Andrew Zignani, Senior Analyst at ABI Research.

Marvell is committed to a complete portfolio of 802.11ax fully compliant products and have been sampling to lead customers from early 2017, gaining significant traction and momentum in the marketplace.

Marvell’s 802.11ax portfolio announced today consists of 88W9068, 88W9064 and 88W9064S.