Intel Corp. has acquired Rivet Networks to expand its existing Wi-Fi products for PC platforms.
Rivet’s software and cloud-based Wi-Fi technologies for networking connectivity can be used for speed, intelligence and control for gamers and performance users and the devices can also utilize the combination of Ethernet and Wi-Fi to prioritize traffic over both connections.
In the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Comcast reports that Wi-Fi-connected video calls and video conferencing has increased more than 283% and Charter Communications reports that more than 90% of the traffic on its ISP networks is Wi-Fi based. Intel said that more than 70% of mobile data traffic runs on Wi-Fi and most homes have an average of 11 Wi-Fi enabled devices.
As many people are forced to work at home and limited in their entertainment choices, consumers have become more reliant on Wi-Fi to stream movies, plays games online and complete their daily work activities.
Rivet Networks will be integrated into Intel’s Wireless Solutions Group within the Client Computing Group and Rivet’s Killer brand will be integrated into Intel’s broader PC Wi-Fi portfolio.
While Rivet will complement Intel’s Wi-Fi solutions for PC platforms, it is also expanding its presence for Wi-Fi in other areas including:
- Testing and development of 801.11ax, otherwise known as Wi-Fi 6.
- Advocating for Wi-Fi standards including those for Wi-Fi 6 and beyond, working with the Federal Communications Commission, ecosystem and standards to ensure interoperability for new standards as well as spectrum and certification policy issues.
- Launching a Wi-Fi 6 desktop developer kit to bring Gigabit+ wireless speeds to desktop PCs. The kit can be installed in less than 10 minutes and provides a max wireless speed of 2.4 Gbps.
- Investing in Project Athena, a multiyear innovation program designed to deliver new laptops that would include a persistent connection with Intel Wi-Fi 6 and optional Gigabit LTE.
