National Information Computer Technology Australia (NICTA) yesterday announced the development of a new 60GHz CMOS single-chip solution that can transfer wireless data at up to 5 Gbps.

According to NICTA CTO Dr. Chris Nicol, that's ten times the current maximum wireless transfer rate - and it'll have a significant impact on home and office use of wireless technology. "Consumers will be able to download a high definition DVD onto their personal digital assistants at a public kiosk in seconds, take it home, and play it directly onto their high definition TV," Nicol says.

"The technology should cost only around one tenth of current prices, while its minute sizing will also make the chip perfect for embedding into mobile devices," writes The Tech Herald's Stevie Smith.

"The gigabit wireless chip is about three years away from being produced in commercial quantities," reports Australian IT's Stuart Kennedy.

In the meantime, Ars Technica's Joel Hruska isn't buying it. "It's possible that NICTA has actually made fundamental advancements that will speed deployment of short-range, ultra-high-speed networks - but it seems more likely that the organization has drunk a bit too much of its own Kool-Aid," he writes.

More here from The Age ... more here from Electronista ... more here from iTWire ... more here from the Sydney Morning Herald ... and the press release is here.