WHAT:
The Wi-Fi Alliance®, in conjunctionwith Kelton Research, today announced results of a nationwide survey on consumerpreference of Wi-Fi technology. Overall findings indicate that a Wi-Fi connectionis a driving force in Americans' lives. The rollout of the next generation ofWi-Fi (or 802.11n) in homes is set to support faster speeds and range demands.Testing of 802.11n draft 2.0 interoperability will begin in June and Wi-FiCERTIFIED™ products will be available on store shelves in time forback-to-school.
Among the key take-aways onWi-Fi's growing popularity include:
- America Has Voted! Of those surveyed 82 percent reportthat not being able to get on their Wi-Fi network when they really need itwould be more annoying than if Sanjaya had won "American Idol" this year.
- The Connected Home is Here. The average American home has four devices connected to their home Wi-Fi network including PCs,laptops, printers, cameras, music players, storage devices and entertainmentgear.
- Take Me Out to the... Wi-Fi? When asked if their router allowed them greater range where they would mostprefer to get online with Wi-Fi, more Americans said they'd like to gooutside-to their yard, deck or porch-than anywhere else in the house (43percent).
- YouTube Beats the Boob Tube. Americans' demand to stay connected has escalatedto an all-time high. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed would prefer to gowithout TV for a week than do without the Web.
WHO:
U.S. population 18 years ofage and older with broadband Internet access and Wi-Fi at home.
WHEN/HOW:
The survey was conductedonline by Kelton Research between April 24 to 30, 2007 and included 545 Americans. Results of any sampleare subject to sampling variation. In this study, the chances are 95 in 100that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.2 percentagepoints.
About the Wi-Fi Alliance
TheWi-Fi Alliance is a global,non-profit industry association of more than 300 member companiesdevoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Withthe aim of enhancing the user experience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-FiAlliance's testing and certification programs ensure the interoperability ofWLAN products based on the IEEE 802.11 specification. Since theintroduction of the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program in March2000, more than 3,400 products have been designated as Wi-FiCERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services acrossthe consumer and enterprise markets. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Conexant, Dell, Intel,Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and Texas Instruments serve as Sponsor members of the Alliance.
MEDIA CONTACT: To schedule a meeting with the Wi-FiAlliance or receive a copy of the survey findings: Dominic Ybarra,Edelman, +1 650-762-2960, dominic.ybarra@edelman.com.