Belkin to release 802.11ac wireless dual-band routers

Belkin announced plans to become one of the first to market with a line of wireless dual-band routers supporting the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. New Belkin products will feature Broadcom’s fifth generation (5G WiFi) 802.11ac chips, which enable speeds up to three times faster than existing 802.11n technology.

“802.11ac technology provides the wireless networking backbone needed to reliably handle the increasing amount of mobile devices and streaming content on today’s home networks,” said Mike Chen, senior director of networking at Belkin.

“We are excited to partner with Broadcom to bring cutting-edge Wi-Fi products to market this summer that not only provide great speed and coverage, but also enhance the online streaming experience for videos, movies, and music throughout the home,” Chen added.

Featuring gigabit speeds wirelessly, 802.11ac is ideal for smartphones and tablets because it enables faster web downloads and file syncing with less drainage on battery life.

More powerful than 802.11n, 5G WiFi also extends your home network range, giving you greater throughput and more reliable coverage at greater distances in the home so your mobile devices can be used in more locations.

“As a leader in mobile accessories and solutions, Belkin is strongly positioned to help drive the transition to the fifth generation of Wi-Fi,” said Michael Hurlston, Broadcom’s SVP of Wireless Combo Connectivity. “By incorporating Broadcom’s 5G WiFi chips, Belkin’s new products will improve home wireless range, provide faster video streaming, enable simultaneous connection of multiple devices to the network, and deliver broader coverage—all with a longer battery life. We’re thrilled to partner with Belkin to help bring all the benefits of 5G WiFi to consumers.”