By Lynn Greiner
OTTAWA – Wi-Fi tech developer Edgewater Wireless announced last week it has patented what it calls the first multi-lane highway for Wi-Fi.
Its Wi-Fi Spectrum Slicing, or MCSR (Multi-Channel, Single Radio), offers an approach designed specifically to tackle the billions of connected devices globally. The technology was developed in partnership with the cable industry’s R&D arm CableLabs.
Edgewater says that dual channel wi-fi means five things:
- No more dropouts.
- No more lag.
- Seamless connections for video applications or gaming.
- Latency reduction by using two separate channels for connecting devices.
- Multiple, concurrent downlink-only channels reduces contention and takes legacy Wi-Fi connectivity to the next level.
MCSR offers separate physical channels for traffic via a wideband RF front end which the company says is the industry’s only Wi-Fi standards compliant radio capable of delivering multiple, concurrent in-band channels of transmit and receive from a single radio. It was designed to operate in high RF interference environments such as homes. The foundational code that enables the dual channels is open source.
Wi-Fi Spectrum Slicing can divide, or slice, both the 2.4 GHz ISM bands and any of the three 5Ghz UNII bands into multiple concurrent channels. This allows for multiple channels of bi-directional traffic both within the same Wi-Fi band and within the same coverage area. Any Wi-Fi standard compliant end device can take advantage of the technology, from 802.11a to 802.11ax.
“Imagine no more dropouts, no more lag, seamless connections for video applications or gaming,” said Andrew Skafel, CEO of Edgewater Wireless (pictured). “This is really the start of what 
could become the next standard in Wi-Fi.”
“The rise of online gaming and over-the-top streaming services such as Netflix has put more stress than was ever intended on traditional Wi-Fi access points, which were first introduced some 20 years ago,” he added. “Dedicated download channels for services with high-bandwidth demands is a more efficient use of Wi-Fi spectrum, and can essentially reduce data pileups. What we’re talking about here is the transition from the equivalent of a single-lane road to a multi-lane highway.”
