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What Is the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WGA)?

The Wireless Gigabit Alliance developed and promoted WiGig, a 60 GHz wireless technology aligned with IEEE 802.11ad, before its work moved to the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2013.
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The Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WGA), also known as the WiGig Alliance, was an industry group that developed and promoted WiGig: multi-gigabit wireless technology for the 60 GHz band. It was a separate organization from IEEE, but its specifications were aligned with IEEE 802.11ad. The WGA’s work moved into the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2013, so the WGA is now best understood as a historical organization.

What did the Wireless Gigabit Alliance do?

Incorporated on April 1, 2009, the WGA aimed to define wireless transmission of audio, video, and data over millimeter-wave frequencies, including line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight use. It promoted connections that could carry large amounts of data over short distances, with potential uses such as wireless displays, peripheral links, and replacing input/output cables. Agilent’s technical overview describes the Alliance’s purpose and its WiGig specifications; the Wi-Fi Alliance’s January 2013 announcement gives examples of intended applications.

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What does WiGig mean?

WiGig was the technology name and brand associated with the WGA. The name referred to wireless gigabit connectivity, with the Alliance’s work focused on multi-gigabit communications in the 60 GHz band. WiGig was not another name for the Alliance itself: WGA was the organization, while WiGig was the technology it developed and promoted.

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How was WiGig related to IEEE 802.11ad?

The WGA published its own WiGig MAC/PHY specifications and worked with IEEE 802.11 Task Group ad to keep the technical work aligned. Agilent characterizes WiGig v1.2 and IEEE 802.11ad-2012 as essentially identical at the MAC/PHY level. That describes the relationship between their specifications; it does not mean the WGA and IEEE were the same organization. IEEE’s 802.11 working-group timeline lists IEEE 802.11ad-2012 as the 60 GHz amendment.

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What happened to the WiGig Alliance?

The Wi-Fi Alliance and WGA announced plans to unify their activity in January 2013. They finalized the agreement on March 5, 2013, bringing WiGig technology and certification development into the Wi-Fi Alliance. The WGA therefore ceased to be a separate center for that work; WiGig remained a technology whose development and certification were handled within the Wi-Fi Alliance. The Wi-Fi Alliance’s finalization announcement confirms the date and arrangement.

WGA, WiGig, and 802.11ad at a glance

Term What it refers to
Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WGA) The industry organization incorporated in 2009 to develop and promote 60 GHz wireless specifications.
WiGig The technology name and brand associated with the WGA.
IEEE 802.11ad The IEEE 60 GHz amendment developed in coordination with the WGA’s work; IEEE lists the 2012 edition in its timeline.

In a 2010 cooperation announcement, Wi-Fi Alliance president and CEO Edgar Figueroa called 60 GHz connectivity “an exciting enhancement” to Wi-Fi capabilities. The statement reflected the groups’ view of WiGig as a complement to existing Wi-Fi technology, not evidence that WiGig and conventional Wi-Fi were interchangeable. The announcement records his comment and the cooperation between the groups.

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