Researchers deliver Wi-Fi through TV aerials

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has unveiled a breakthrough in wireless technology that will allow multiple users to upload content at the same time while maintaining a data transfer rate of 12Mbps, all over its old analogue TV aerial.

The technology, named Ngara, allows up to six users to occupy the equivalent spectrum space of one television channel (7mHz) and has a spectral efficiency of 20bps per hertz. Ngara can handle up to three times that of similar technology and maintains a data rate more than 10 times the industry minimum standard, according to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) IT centre director Ian Opperman.

"Someone who doesn't live near the fibre network could get to it using our new wireless system," Oppermann said in a statement. "They'd be able to upload a clip to YouTube in real time and their data rate wouldn't change even if five of their neighbours also started uploading videos."

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see CSIRO introduces Wi-Fi to your TV antenna on ZDNet Australia.