Faster Wi-Fi for Mobile Devices Important: 93% Use Smart Phones at Home

Almost every smart phone shipped in 2012 will offer some form of Wi-Fi capabilities. However, a new Wi-Fi protocol will begin to dominate mobile devices soon. The Wi-Fi (802.11ac) standard might be available on 70 percent of devices by 2015, according to ABI Research. 

“The Wi-Fi 802.11ac protocol offers several advantages over the current and most commonly used 802.11n protocol,” says senior analyst Josh Flood. “Firstly, the wireless connection speed will be quicker; the new protocol also offers better range and improved reliability, and superior power consumption. It’s also capable of multiple 2X2 streams and should be particularly good for gaming experiences and HD video streaming on mobile devices.”

What that means is that use of Wi-Fi to offload smart phone and tablet Internet apps will be faster than ever.