The protocol and compatible interconnection of data and multimedia communication equipment via 2.4 GHz and 60 GHz radio transmissions in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) using low power and multiple modulation formats to support scalable data rates is defined in this standard. The Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer protocol supports both isochronous and asynchronous data types.

This standard defines PHY and MAC specifications for high data rate wireless connectivity (typically over 200 Mbps) with fixed, portable, and moving devices. Data rates are high enough to satisfy a set of consumer multimedia industry needs, as well as to support emerging wireless switched point-to-point and high rate close proximity point-to-point applications.

The purpose of this standard is to provide for low complexity, low cost, low power consumption, and high data rate wireless connectivity among devices that support a variety of applications such as a set of consumer multimedia industry needs, wireless switched point-to-point applications in data centers, wireless backhaul/fronthaul intra-device communications, and a wide variety of additional use cases such as rapid large multimedia data downloads and file exchanges between two devices in close proximity, including between mobile devices and stationary devices (kiosks, ticket gates, etc.), and/or wireless data storage devices.