Information technologies abroad: Intel to launch processors with built-in Wi-Fi and 4G

At the ISSCC'12 (International Solid-State Circuits Conference), San Francisco, Intel will introduce its new initiatives in the field of integration of traditional processors and wireless communication capabilities. CPUs with built-in network subsystem, according to Intel engineers, are advantageous for several reasons: first, the CPU chip with built-in Wi-Fi will be able to reduce the cost of electronic products, and secondly, to place a network component closer to the processor, which will accelerate the operation of networks, and third, a smaller number of individual components in the system allows portable electronics to extend storage battery life.

Rosepoint experimental processor, which is a dual-core Atom processor with built-in CPU for the Wi-Fi, is expected to be shown as the first such initiative.

According to Intel's technical director Justin Rattner, Intel's plans include not only the integration of Wi-Fi, but also 3G and 4G radio transmitters, paving the way to Atom microprocessors to the market of smart phones.

The biggest competitor to Intel, the developer of ARM processors, said that it also intends to move towards the inclusion of a new component base in microprocessors and their nuclei. For example, Qualcomm, developer of mobile processors, whose chips are based on ARM microkernels, recently introduced S4 chips, which already have the integrated architecture CPU-WiFi/3G/4G. After their release, S4 will support Windows 8 on tablets.