Cellphones will sport Wi-Fi, say industry execs

Panelists speaking yesterday at the annual Telecosm conference in Squaw Valley, California believe Wi-Fi prove to be a key technology integrated into future cellphones.

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There's a benefit for data-based applications, such as video streaming, where the higher bandwidth offered by Wi-Fi could yield better playback quality, provided users find themselves in range of a hot-spot.

Such an idea does now appear to be attracting the interest of cellular network providers. "I've seen a market shift in my discussions with carriers in the last 18 months," said Intel president Paul Otellini. "They have moved from saying, 'heck no,' to seriously considering it."

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"Basically, we are just waiting for the carriers to ask us to put it in the chip sets," said Qualcomm executive VP Paul Jacobs. "I think we'll see the demand for it eventually."