Airgo, the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless technology pioneer Airgo, has launched new, low-cost Wi-Fi chipsets.

The company also cut prices on its existing True MIMO chipset. But while Airgo expects that to remain a premium product, it anticipates the new True G and True AG offerings to enable wireless equipement based upon them to cost much the same as regular 802.11g kit.

Airgo is able to price the G and AG products so low because they only incorporate two receive and two transmit antennae, compared to True MIMO's three receive and three transmit. And since the benefits of MIMO scale as you add more antennae, the cheaper products will not yield the same bandwidth and range gains that the True MIMO part provides.

Still, the the use of even two radios and with them leverage multipath signals that are more commonly written off as interference should boost True G and True AG performance well above that of standard 802.11a and 802.11g devices. The biggest gain will come with Airgo-based equipment at both ends of the link, but the company maintains and independent testing confirms, speed gains even when only one half of the link is based on Airgo technology.

Products based on True G and True AG are expected on store shelves within one month, Airgo said. It already supplies True MIMO chipsets to Belkin, Buffalo and Linksys. It did not say which companies it has signed to offer True G- and True AG-based access points and adaptors. ®

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