802.11ax is the next big thing in Wi-Fi, and Marvell just introduced their 802.11ax wireless products. 802.11ax will be the successor towards 802.11ac by quadrupling capacity. The 6th gen WIFI technology combines the two and current 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, and in theory, could achieve a proper 1.8 Gbit/s.

Marvell is the first to offer a full MU-MIMO and OFDMA uplink and downlink based on the latest IEEE 802.11ax standards which will help the next generation of high-end users, “Generation Upload,” with real-time cloud-based requirements. Delivering consistent performance and reliability is becoming increasingly difficult for networks already straining to support a dramatic increase in connected devices, high definition streaming video, social media and cloud applications. The average household will have about 50 connected devices by 2022. Major technology advancements are needed to better support today’s diverse users that are driving higher end emerging use cases such as virtual and augmented reality, live streaming and smart cities.

Marvell believes the latest 802.11ax standard will bring major enhancements to wireless networks while maintaining full backward compatibility. The standard dramatically improves network performance and reliability in dense deployments and crowded public venues like airports, stadiums and shopping malls. The new Marvell wireless system-on-chips (SoCs) have the industry’s most complete 802.11ax implementation with full MU-MIMO and OFDMA uplink and downlink, multi-gigabit peak speeds, precision location, cloud management, best-in-class beamforming and integrated Bluetooth® 5 technology. 

“Wi-Fi technology must scale dramatically to meet the rapidly growing bandwidth and quality demands of the modern home, enterprise and connected car. Marvell contributed extensively to the 802.11ax specification and is now introducing an 802.11ax family of products that include the industry’s most complete feature set and highest performance. Our newly announced 802.11ax family delivers consistent performance, offers our customers unprecedented solution flexibility and state-of-the-art technologies for precision location and integrated Bluetooth 5,” said Mark Montierth, vice president and general manager of the Wireless Connectivity Business Unit at Marvell. 

“As a leader and pioneer in building Wi-Fi products for consumers and small businesses, we are thrilled by Marvell’s announcement today on their 802.11ax solutions,” said Eu Chong Son, vice president of engineering at Linksys. “User behaviors are constantly evolving and we welcome such technological innovations so that we can be a step ahead in developing solutions and products that ultimately bring delightful experiences to our customers.”

“Consumers of the future will demand smarter, faster and higher bandwidth wireless systems which will pressure the market to scale bandwidth rapidly and seamlessly without compromising security, performance and latency. Regardless of industry – cloud, social media, machine learning, 5G or in-car networking – 802.11ax solutions such as Marvell’s new portfolio will enable companies to optimize their network efficiency as they evolve with next-level digital transformation in mind,” said Andrew Zignani, senior analyst at ABI Research.

Marvell is committed to a complete portfolio of 802.11ax fully compliant products and have been sampling to lead customers from early 2017, gaining significant traction and momentum in the marketplace.

Marvell’s 802.11ax portfolio announced today consists of 88W9068, 88W9064 and 88W9064S.

88W9068 is optimized for premium enterprise and retail access points, carrier gateways and fixed wireless services. Key features include:

• 8x8, 8-spatial stream device with 5-GHz support
• Uplink and downlink OFDMA
• Uplink and downlink MU-MIMO
• 1024 QAM
• Off-channel spectrum scanning
• Dedicated in-service monitoring
• Precision location

88W9064 is optimized for mainstream enterprise and retail access points, carrier gateways and fixed wireless services. Key features include:

• 4x4, 4-spatial stream device with 5/2.4-GHz support
• Uplink and downlink OFDMA
• Uplink and downlink MU-MIMO
• 1024 QAM
• Off-channel spectrum scanning
• Dedicated in-service monitoring
• Precision location
• Integrated Bluetooth 5

88W9064S is optimized for the service provider and OTT set-top box markets. Key features include:

• 2x4, 2-spatial stream device with 5/2.4-GHz support
• Uplink and downlink OFDMA
• Uplink and downlink MU-MIMO
• 1024 QAM
• Off-channel spectrum scanning
• Dedicated in-service monitoring
• Precision location
• Integrated Bluetooth 5