Faster WiFi coming with approval of new standard

A faster WiFi technology with speeds of up to 1.3 Gigabits per second has been approved by a U.S. organization that oversees WiFi technologies. The WiFi Alliance based in Austin, Texas, which ensures the interoperability of WiFi technologies, has begun certifying devices that can run the new "802.11ac" technology that could transfer an entire high-definition movie to a tablet in under 4 minutes, CNNMoney reported Wednesday. The alliance has issued certifications for 19 routers, access points, microchips and smartphones; while shipments of so-called "ac" WiFi devices began last year, they remain very hard to find. "Usually, our certification programs serve as one of the contributing factors to widespread market adoption," Kelly Davis-Felner, the WiFi Alliance's director of program management said. "But already, this feels like a much more accelerated adoption than in years past." The new WiFi faster standard enters a world where the average number of WiFi devices in U.S. households has doubled since 2008, averaging four devices connected to a WiFi network during peak usage times, CNNMoney said.