Chinese Wireless Encryption Standard Argument
Assumes Political Overtones
Intel, the world's leading logic chip maker, rejected
China's newly proposed wireless encryption standard on
technical grounds, and US technical bodies and the government,
have lined up against the new Chinese WAPI encrytion standard.
The new wireless encryption
standard was endorsed by the Chinese government late
in 2003, and the government issued a requirement that
all Chinese makers make their products using the encryption
standard beginning in June 2004. The WAPI technology competes
directly with Intel's Centrino
technology which includes a wireless transmission
and encryption standard. Intel announced yesterday that
it would not support the WAPI standard in its chipset
designs.
Key to the American opposition is the fact that the Chinese
government and 24 local companies have access to the core
WAPI technology, and would have to share their technology
to make their products conform to the standard.
In the past two years, China has been pushing its own
standards for digital
TV transmission and computer
and device communications through the government's
powerful Ministry of Information Industry. In all instances,
the new standards were not opposed by American companies.
So why is the US opposition to WAPI so strong this time?
The Chinese have remained largely quiet in the face of
these complaints, and have been listening, which indicates
that they are learning from the dispute and modifying
their position.
From a business point of view, the Centrino standard
has become an important part of Intel's business in laptop
computers and wireless devices. But, the Centrino standard
is evolving as broadband wireless technology evolves.
Pat Gelsinger, Intel's chief technology officer, who
recently returned from a trip to China, said that WAPI
used outdated technology.
Put simply, the WAPI encryption standard is an attempt
to "freeze" a new technology and make it a standard
too soon, before the new technology standards have had
a chance to prove themselves in the marketplace.
For the Americans, it would be well-advised to argue
the technological merits of the argument, without bringing
in the big political guns, which would make the case more
complicated.
Not supporting WAPI as a standard is fine, but it also
opens a window to any new players who support WAPI. Now
the question is whether the Chinese government will support
the Dragon
chip technology, which it controls, and add a WAPI
chipset for wireless communications?
Or will they drop support for WAPI, and say that they
want to give other standards a chance?
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