Apple's latest iDevices come with the wireless standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. So what's next for the 802.11 standard? The next-gen standard that is in the works is IEEE 802.11ay. It is an amendment that defines a new physical layer for 802.11 networks to operate in the 60 GHz millimeter wave spectrum. It will be an extension of the existing 11ad, aimed to extend the throughput, range and use-cases. The main use-cases include: indoor operation, out-door back-haul and short range communications.

According to a new report, IEEE is setting next generation wireless transmission standards at 60GHz, IEEE 802.11ay, which is expected to be completed in 2017. The new standards are likely to focus on new applications for mobile offloading, wireless backhaul, and others.

The IEEE 802.ay standard is expected to ramp up transmission rates from the current 7Gbps to 20Gbps (and likely up to 30-40Gbps) and to extend transmission distance from the current 10 meters to as far as 300-500meters.

The new standards are also likely to include mechanisms for MU-MIMO and channel bonding technologies. The setting of the IEEE 802.11ay standards will help regulate the current use of 60GHz technology by individual telecom equipment providers, promote the sale of household Wi-Fi routers and accelerate the development of new types of video entertainment products based on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.

While today's report points to 2017 as the targeted release date for 802.11ay, the working schedule of next-gen 802.11 standards (including 802.11ax) shows that it could take longer. On the flip side, Apple has usually been ahead of the curve in releasing the latest wireless standards and it's a tradition that's likely to continue.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.