The Change Mariner

Wi-Fi gear moving on the double

MSN Tech & Gadgets:

The Wi-Fi gear market continued to pick up pace last year, with shipments and revenue rising more than twofold as prices fell and customers adopted new technology, according to a new report.

Shipments of wireless networking cards and access points jumped to 22.7 million units, an increase of more than 200 percent compared with 2002, when 7.2 million units were shipped, In-Stat/MDR said in a report released Wednesday.

The approval of the 802.11g standard and the availability of products using it picked up on the impetus set by the 802.11b standard, according to the research firm. At the same time, products based on the 802.11b standard dipped in price, spurring sales and so adding to revenue gains for manufacturers. Hardware revenue increased 140 percent to $1.7 billion in 2003, up from the $700 million the previous year, the report found.

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