CSIRO Demonstrates Fastest Wireless Link Yet

rob101 writes "The CSIRO yesterday demonstrated the world's 'fastest' wireless radio link by transmitting sixteen full quality DVD streams over a 250m link and only using a quarter of the available bandwidth. 'The CSIRO ICT Centre today announced that it has achieved over six gigabits per second over a point to point wireless connection with the highest efficiency (2.4bits/s/Hz) ever achieved for such a system.'" CSIRO hopes to double the speed of this connection in the future, pushing twelve gigabits a second.

Side benefit

[quokkapox]

You can pop your microwave popcorn by just holding it up between the router and the TV during the FBI warning.

Re:Side benefit

[feld]

try not to burn the butter this time

Terminology

[nacturation]

Sorry, I just don't understand this DVD streaming thing. Can someone translate this into Libraries of Congress per second?
 

Wow, finally a technology....

[jocks]

....that will keep Windows Vista patched in real time!

Only a quarter of the available bandwidth...

[Xolom]

why don't they try using the rest?

Re:Only a quarter of the available bandwidth...

[Hanners1979]

By the time they'd finished starting up the 16th DVD stream, the MPAA were hammering on the door...

Pshaww....

[Quixote]

Not to rain on their parade, but bear with me:
A DVD is 4.5GB (say). So 6Gb/s means a DVD can be transferred over the distance (250m) in 6 seconds.
In my backpack, I can put a 100 DVDs (a spindle). Assume I'm not in shape and can't carry more. I can walk the 250m in just over 4 minnutes (at a leisurely pace of 1m/s).
So if I carry my 100 DVDs the distance, I'll cover it in 250 seconds, which works out to a speed of 14.4 Gb/s, more than double of what these boffins are getting.

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a backpack full of DVDs....