Wi-Fi Alliance® Begins Testing of Next-Generation Wi-Fi Gear

Wide range of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ 802.11n draft 2.0 products expected to be available in time for back-to-school purchases

AUSTIN, TEXAS, June 25, 2007 - Interoperability certification for high-performance Wi-Fi gear is now underway. Wi-Fi Alliance Authorized Test Laboratories began testing products today, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products are anticipated to arrive on store shelves this summer - in time for students returning to school to do so with the very latest generation of Wi-Fi gear.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products have been tested for interoperability across vendors, adherence to WPA2™ (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security protocols, and backward compatibility with more than 3,500 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n a/b/g products. Products based on the new IEEE 802.11n draft deliver up to five times the throughput and up to twice the range of those based on previous standards, enabling a wide range of content-rich applications, and delivering those applications over a larger footprint. The certification program also includes WMM® (Wi-Fi Mutlimedia) quality of service, which helps deliver the best user experience with applications such as video, voice, and gaming.

"Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 Wi-Fi brings the digital home of the future to life today, and revolutionizes the capabilities of enterprise networking. It is the most important advance for Wi-Fi technology since its invention," said Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik. "With the launch of this certification program, the industry as a whole has come together to deliver the very best user experience - helping ensure that consumers and enterprises can purchase with confidence and make the most of advanced Wi-Fi technology today."

"With the advancements offered by 802.11n, Wi-Fi takes center stage as a key technology for networked digital home applications such as streaming high-definition video and interactive gaming," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "Because Wi-Fi is so easy to use, and certification means different brands of gear work together, we expect the momentum to continue. There will be substantial implementation of 802.11n Wi-Fi in certain consumer electronics products."

With a strong pipeline of products already scheduled for certification testing, the Alliance expects very high demand for certification testing. The following laboratories will begin testing this week for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 program to help ensure that testing services are available to member companies in every region:

• AT4 wireless (Malaga, Spain)
• ADT (Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan)
• Allion (Taipei Taiwan)
• CETECOM Inc. (Milpitas, California)
• SGS (Yokohama, Japan)
• SGS (Taipei, Taiwan)
• TUV Rheinland (Yokohama, Japan)
• TUV Rheinland (Pleasanton, California)

Wi-Fi Alliance Authorized Test Laboratories are independent, ISO-accredited testing facilities.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has released a white paper entitled "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0: Bringing Interoperability to Longer-Range, Higher-Throughput, Multimedia-Grade Networks," which details draft 802.11n enhancements as well as the certification testing program and is available for free download at the Wi-Fi Alliance Web site. A white paper for consumers and retailers entitled "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0: Taking Wi-Fi to the Next Level," as well as a product search tool for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, are also available at www.wi-fi.org.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of more than 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance's testing and certification programs ensure the interoperability of WLAN products based on the IEEE 802.11 specification. Since the introduction of the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program in March 2000, more than 3,500 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets.

Media contact: Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance, Michael Diamond, michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1 650-429-2772.