An industry group of wireless networking companies said Tuesday it will start certifying next-generation routers and network cards in 2007, a year before official standards are expected.

Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said that without a certification program, the market could have been fragmented by the growing number and variety of pre-standard “Draft N” or “Pre-N” products claiming faster speeds and greater range. The products take their names from the 802.11n standard.

So let me get this straight. The Wi-Fi Alliance will start certifying networking equipment as 802.11n compliant… BEFORE the standards are expected to be completed. What the hell are they gonna verify! “According to our extensive testing procedures, we at the Wi-Fi Alliance duly certify that this Linksys Router in fact does contain the 802.11n sticker on the front. So it’s… um… compliant.” How about we simply bring the State Department down on companies that are making false claims instead of creating potentially bogus certifications.

Nice job, Wi-Fi Alliance. Way to stick a band-aid on the leaky ceiling.