Globalcomm: Wavion adds MIMO to metro Wi-Fi

CHICAGO--Start-up Wavion made its debut at Globalcomm this week, revealing plans for a new type of metro Wi-Fi that uses multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) antenna technologies to increase range and capacity over the typical wireless access point.

Wavion’s access point architecture uses six antennas and adaptive beam-forming technology to focus transmissions on individual users instead of radiating omni-directionally at all times, said Mati Wax, Wavion founder and chief technology officer. The access point listens for Wi-Fi signals in all directions. Once it establishes a session with a device it bends signals toward the user, allowing it to increase both the range and capacity of the connection over that of a normal omni-directional access point, Wax said.

While the system uses MIMO technology on the transmitting end, it connects with normal Wi-Fi receiving radios, requiring no equipment upgrade from the consumer. But the beam forming allows a service provider to extend the range of the access point more than double the average access point distance, resulting in only four access points to cover a city square mile as opposed to 25 for a normal metro Wi-Fi deployment.

Wavion also adds space division multiple-access technology to the mix, allowing it to send four packets over the same frequency simultaneously, effectively quadrupling the overall capacity of the access point from 54 Mb/s to 216 Mb/s though each individual Wi-Fi receiver would receive a maximum speed of 54 Mb/s.

Wavion plans to make its own equipment for service providers and sell the technology to vendors through OEM agreements. Though it has not yet come out with a commercial AP of its own, it has started several small trials with service providers, Wavion officials said.