NVIDIA spokesperson Brian Burke has released that Intel may have postponed the USB 3.0 standard by up to two years. This comes after news that Intel won’t have a USB 3.0 compatible chipset until 2011. Burke has told TGDaily that NVIDIA has learned the same news. Contending that Intel is holding back the industry by flexing it’s monopoly muscles. Claiming that with the lack of competition, Intel has begun slowing down innovation and development.

"With no competition in chipsets, it seems Intel has decided that innovation is not needed for USB any time soon," he adds. "With no one to push Intel to innovate, PC enthusiasts are left with Intel chipsets and the features and performance they deliver, or lack [thereof]."

Speculation is that Intel and NVIDIA are both hot tempered from lawsuits on chipset licensing. Intel has been preventing NVIDIA from designing chipsets compatible with Intel’s latest generation processors. Claiming that the license agreement does not allow designing around an integrated memory controller, the QPI, and other new features.

Intel postponing development of USB 3.0 controllers won’t necessarily banish the standard. However with Intel’s tight grip on the market, it’s less likely to grow without it monopoly-like powers.

Via [Electronista]