IT abroad: New technology to improve capacity of wireless networks

Stanford University (USA) researchers have developed a technology which makes it possible to increase the capacity of modern wireless networks, while at the same time make them more reliable and efficient. Researchers claim that both Wi-Fi and cellular networks can benefit from the new technology.

They say that their discovery supports full-duplex connections - allowing data to be transmitted between devices in both directions at the same time rather than in just one direction as has been the case until now. The speed in either direction remains the same, it just opens up the channel so both ends can send and receive data simultaneously. With current technology, one side sends then waits while the transmitter at the other end takes its turn.

Equipment initially used to demonstrate this new capability has been refined so it requires two extra antennas, and details of this upgrade will be made public in a paper next month. This summer, the researchers will look into making commercial products based on their research.

It is worth mentioning, that the new technology not only guarantees data transfer speeds but also makes the networks more reliable. What is more, it helps to reduce networks radiation, while duplex networks enable to connect more users simultaneously.