Atheros Communications on Monday began shipping the first silicon chip that uses a new wireless networking standard known as 802.11g.
802.11g is a faster and more secure version of the more familiar wireless networking equipment used in a growing number of homes and offices. But the 802.11g is still in draft form, with a few questions remaining about what technologies to use. The standard itself won't be ratified until at least midyear.
Atheros chose to ship the chips now to gain a competitive advantage. An Atheros representative said the company also made the chips easy to upgrade in case the ratified standard is significantly different. The upgrades will be done free of charge, the representative said.
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