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CSIRO Demonstrates Fastest Wireless Link Yet

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the sky-is-the-limit dept.

rob101 writes "The CSIRO yesterday demonstrated the world's 'fastest' wireless radio link by transmitting sixteen full quality DVD streams over a 250m link and only using a quarter of the available bandwidth. 'The CSIRO ICT Centre today announced that it has achieved over six gigabits per second over a point to point wireless connection with the highest efficiency (2.4bits/s/Hz) ever achieved for such a system.'" CSIRO hopes to double the speed of this connection in the future, pushing twelve gigabits a second.

5 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ugh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I assume that you're speaking in general, but I would like to point out that the CSIRO (Commonwealth Serum and Industrial Research Organisation) is throwing Australian -- not US -- taxpayer's dollars out the window.

  2. Rare, example of tech patents working by pingbot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember this the Australian Government research organisation that has been defending there early 802.11a/g wireless patents against some mighty companies corps who want to avoid paying there dues http://www.theage.com.au/news/wireless--broadband/ csiro-wins-landmark-legal-battle/2006/11/15/116326 6614119.html.

    Heartening to know the licence fees are not just going to the lawyers (something they have received some flack for in Aus), but getting invested in more research. More power to them I say.

  3. Re:Useless description of speed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The data was streaming so there is no requirement for a timescale.

  4. Sometimes you forget to think 'wow!' by clickclickdrone · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Back in 1989 I had a 48Mb SCSI hard drive on my Atari ST. That loaded files at 350k/sec. That was fast back then.
    Now we have data going through the air at 6Gb/sec. It's all too easy to get used to the steady stream of new stuff but every now and then you need to stop, think about how much has changed in the last 15 years or so and think.. 'Wow!'

    --
    I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  5. Re:Data Gravity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Bits/second/Hertz is a measure of spectral efficiency.

    In other words, since they say their spectral efficiency is 2.4b/s/Hz and their link rate is 6 Gb/s, their system must use 2.5GHz of RF spectrum to accomplish that. The article says the system operates at 85GHz, so technically it probably emits energy along the entire range from 83.75GHz to 86.25GHz, assuming the bandwidth is centered at 85GHz.

    Also, this is wireless technology, not fiber, although that doesn't affect the above.