Somewhere between politics and protests, practical solutions usually can be found. Those who prefer practicality to rhetoric can often avoid the slings and arrows of political fortune and chart their own course to a desired end.
According to eWeek
Opinion: Intel's interest in the debate over municipal wireless is a welcome twist in an issue so bogged down in free-market rhetoric it's forgotten about the market.
Full Story
Friday, January 28, 2005
Bluephone's Wi-Fi future revealed
It appears BT is trying to successfully converge Cellular and WiFi networks. I do not agree how they are going about it. It would make sense for an existing wireless carrier to utilize an existing infrastruce and piggy back WiFi onto it. BT doesn't have a Cellular network and will rely on a GSM resell agreements for the cellular piece and deploy WiFi hotspots. Am I missing something? Please read
How does Bluephone work?
The original idea for Bluephone was to have a normal cellphone which can send calls via a special Bluetooth base station when inside the house or office. BT chose Bluetooth for the job, because it supports cordless telephony, is less power-hungry than Wi-Fi, and is almost universally available in mobile phones.
Bluephone is a consumer service, and BT intends to deliver it on absolutely standard cellphones.
How does Bluephone work?
The original idea for Bluephone was to have a normal cellphone which can send calls via a special Bluetooth base station when inside the house or office. BT chose Bluetooth for the job, because it supports cordless telephony, is less power-hungry than Wi-Fi, and is almost universally available in mobile phones.
Bluephone is a consumer service, and BT intends to deliver it on absolutely standard cellphones.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Wi-Fi To Hurt 3G Profits, Study Says
By Mobile Pipeline -
Increased competition from different types of wireless access will mean that wireless operators won't profit from deploying 3G networks as much as they had expected, according to a study released Wednesday by market research firm Strategy Analytics. In particular, Wi-Fi hotspots, which are being aggressively priced and sometimes are offered free, will put a significant hit on 3G profits, the study says. The study said that as much as $12 in profits that cellular operators expected could be lost because of this trend.
"It is not only a question of lower cost alternatives for high-speed wireless access, but of more intense price competition for an expanding number of operators," Harvey Cohen, Strategy Analytics' president, said in a statement. "Operators, including Verizon, Cingular/AT&T, and Sprint/Nextel will make more than $100 billion in investments into advanced wireless capabilities over the next four years, but the returns may not be as high as initially expected due to the growing intensity of competitive forces."
On the positive side, lower prices will stimulate demand, although probably not enough to please wireless operators, Cohen said.
Increased competition from different types of wireless access will mean that wireless operators won't profit from deploying 3G networks as much as they had expected, according to a study released Wednesday by market research firm Strategy Analytics. In particular, Wi-Fi hotspots, which are being aggressively priced and sometimes are offered free, will put a significant hit on 3G profits, the study says. The study said that as much as $12 in profits that cellular operators expected could be lost because of this trend.
"It is not only a question of lower cost alternatives for high-speed wireless access, but of more intense price competition for an expanding number of operators," Harvey Cohen, Strategy Analytics' president, said in a statement. "Operators, including Verizon, Cingular/AT&T, and Sprint/Nextel will make more than $100 billion in investments into advanced wireless capabilities over the next four years, but the returns may not be as high as initially expected due to the growing intensity of competitive forces."
On the positive side, lower prices will stimulate demand, although probably not enough to please wireless operators, Cohen said.
WiMax technology have been hugely overhyped?
I have a degree in Economics and time to time I read articles from the Ecomnomist.com online magazine. I stumbled upon a very interesting break down of WiMAX technology. I think WiMAZ is a little overhyped for now. We shall see in five years if WiMAX is widely deployed.
In urban areas WiMax does not make sense, since it will be uneconomic compared with cable and DSL, argues Kenneth Furer, an analyst at IDC. “It's not going into New York, Los Angeles or London,” he says. It is also too expensive for use in the developing world, at least for the time being, since early WiMax access devices (which must be fixed to the outside of a building) will cost around $500; other forms of wireless link, such as mobile-phone networks, will remain a cheaper way to connect up remote villages.
Great story, check it out
In urban areas WiMax does not make sense, since it will be uneconomic compared with cable and DSL, argues Kenneth Furer, an analyst at IDC. “It's not going into New York, Los Angeles or London,” he says. It is also too expensive for use in the developing world, at least for the time being, since early WiMax access devices (which must be fixed to the outside of a building) will cost around $500; other forms of wireless link, such as mobile-phone networks, will remain a cheaper way to connect up remote villages.
Great story, check it out
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Philly CIO: Public Wi-Fi Needed To Close Digital Divide
Dianah Neff, Philadelphia's chief information officer (CIO) stated in a interveiw with David Haskin "I'm not at liberty to divulge the final business model, but it is something that hasn't been done in other places," Neff said. "And we're doing what the voters elected the city (officials) to do: We're investing in the future. To be a twenty-first century city competing in a knowledge economy, you have to invest in technology."
Wi-Fi, With A Dash Of WiMAX
While some cities have left the door open to 3G for their municipal networks, Neff said that Philadelphia's network initially will be based on 802.11b, with WiMAX being used for backhaul from access points to an Internet backbone. She estimated that WiMAX will handle about 60 percent of the backhaul, with fiber and T1 handling most of the rest.
Full Story
Wi-Fi, With A Dash Of WiMAX
While some cities have left the door open to 3G for their municipal networks, Neff said that Philadelphia's network initially will be based on 802.11b, with WiMAX being used for backhaul from access points to an Internet backbone. She estimated that WiMAX will handle about 60 percent of the backhaul, with fiber and T1 handling most of the rest.
Full Story
'Evil Twin' Haunts Wi-Fi Users
The Evil Twin is essentially a wireless version of a phishing scam where users think they're connecting to a genuine hot spot but are actually connecting to a malicious server, which can then extract information such as bank details. The attack can be carried out by anyone with the right equipment in the vicinity of a legitimate base station.
Networkcar(R) and Motorola
Networkcar's system collects and organizes detailed performance and location-based information directly from a vehicle's engine computer and a global positioning system (GPS), respectively. This information is then transmitted wirelessly from the vehicle to a network operation center, and with the click of a computer mouse, made available online for fleets to monitor items such as current location, fuel consumption, mileage, emission status and speed. More Info.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Wisconsin seeks vendors for state-wide Wi-Fi
Wisconsin is one of those states that recently enacted a law (Wisconsin Act 278 which entered into effect on July 1, 2004) placing restrictions on municipalities that wish to offer telecommunications services. For additional information about the RFP that Wisconsin has requested click here.
The state wants to put together a list of vendors that municipalities around Wisconsin can choose from to deploy their citywide Wi-Fi networks. In order to qualify a vendor must, among other things, be willing to establish roaming agreements with other vendors, so that users of a city network can seamlessly roam onto another city's network.
The state wants to put together a list of vendors that municipalities around Wisconsin can choose from to deploy their citywide Wi-Fi networks. In order to qualify a vendor must, among other things, be willing to establish roaming agreements with other vendors, so that users of a city network can seamlessly roam onto another city's network.
Balloon goes up for rural broadband
News from across the pond over in England. High altitude balloons and unmanned solar-powered aircraft may be the key to rural broadband, if a major European Union project is successful. Over the next year, Capanina intends to develop aerial links capable of delivering up to 120 megabits per second to anywhere in the world, transmitted from aerial platforms hovering up to 22 kilometres above the ground.
Dr David Grace, principal scientific officer of the project and member of the Communications Research Group at the University of York, said that the aerial platform approach had some unique advantages. "802.16 may have a 70-kilometre range, but that has to be line of sight. The chances are there'll be a building in the way, but you'll always have line of sight to a high altitude platform,"
Full Story
Dr David Grace, principal scientific officer of the project and member of the Communications Research Group at the University of York, said that the aerial platform approach had some unique advantages. "802.16 may have a 70-kilometre range, but that has to be line of sight. The chances are there'll be a building in the way, but you'll always have line of sight to a high altitude platform,"
Full Story
Intel is Moving forward with WiMAX
Intel has out alot of R&D into the IEEE 802.16 standard, WiMAX provides metropolitan area network connectivity at speeds of up to 75 Mb/sec. WiMAX systems can be used to transmit signal as far as 30 miles. However, on the average a WiMAX base-station installation will likely cover between three to five miles. Check out Intels WiMAX web site for additional info.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Motorola unveils two new Push-to-talk phones
Motorola has unveiled two new GSM Push-to-talk phones: the C698p and C381p. The C698p is a candybar-styled handset, and is the more fashionable of the two phones. It features triband functionality, dual high-audio speakers for MP3s, integrated VGA camera, and preloaded games. The C381p is a professional phone with the ability to synchronize calendar and contacts with your computer using Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools software. The C381p also includes an integrated speakerphone. Both phones feature a dedicated Push-to-Talk key. Read more from the Motorola press release. Pictures and more information about the C698p and C381p can be found on the WAPZON website.
Yahoo Going Push To Talk
Yahoo is about to add Push To Talk to Yahoo Messenger. I have been a long time yahoo messenger user and preferr it over msn and aol IM services. According to Andy Abramson who has a good VOIP blog site says there is a company in Chicago with an expertise in PTT that may be getting a deal with Yahoo. I am researching for additional information that I will post later.
Friday, January 21, 2005
FCC Chairman Powell to Step Down in March
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell said on Friday he plans to resign after four years of mixed success in pushing a deregulatory approach to the telecommunications and media industries. Full Story
Thursday, January 20, 2005
RF fingerprinting pinpoints location
Pinpointing wireless clients makes it easier to secure and manage wireless LANs. However, traditional technologies used for indoor 802.11 location tracking come up short on accuracy. Full Story
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
WLAN standards alphabet
There are plenty of other WLAN advances completed or in the works. Some of the lesser-known or more recent standards work on 802.11 are:
802.11d, multi-country roaming: Old by WLAN standards, the working group finalized 802.11d in 2001. It's a way for WLAN access points to broadcast what country they're in and what country-specific rules client network interface cards have to follow. You can fly from New York to Rome, walk into your office or hotel, fire up your wireless laptop and expect to connect with whatever WLAN is open.
802.11F, inter-access point protocol: The capital "F" designates a "recommended practice" not a formal standard in IEEE parlance. The basic idea was to create a way for access points to talk among themselves and to transfer data associated with a connection quickly from one access point to another. But WLAN vendors already have figured out how to do this on their own for their own access points. The document was published in mid-2003, but so far is not being embraced. "There are a set of technical issues that make this (hand-off) difficult," says Andrew Myles, manager of wireless standards for Cisco Systems's Wireless Networking Business Unit. "As far as I know at this point, no one is planning to support it."
802.11h, dynamic frequency selection, and transmission power control: the original idea for 802.11h was to create a set of management messages for access points and clients in the European 5-GHz band to coordinate efforts to avoid interfering with radar and satellite communications in the same band, Atheros' Li says. The WLAN devices select another channel and adjust power output if needed. But these same actions can be used to improve WLAN efficiency, quite apart from any specific regulatory rules, according to Li, as more countries open more 5-GHz bandwidth for use by 802.11a WLANs. The standard was final in September 2003. Products with some of these features might start appearing soon. Some elements of this work are being carried into another standard, 802.11k.
802.11j, use of the 4.9- to 5-GHz spectrum in Japan: Originally, this group's work was focused on making changes to the 802.11 media access control and 802.11a PHY layers to gain Japanese regulatory approval in this band. But Li points out that the FCC recently allocated this same band for licensed spectrum set aside solely for public safety and homeland security. The 802.11j work on how to use this spectrum could prove useful in the U.S. as vendors introduce products for public safety networks in this band.
802.11k, radio resource management: Launched in late 2002, this project will standardize an array of radio measurements, dealing with roaming requests, an array of data about the radio channel and data about the client devices. In addition, this data can be made available to higher-level WLAN management applications, where the information can be used in tasks such as optimizing performance and balancing traffic loads. Task Group K is sifting through some 1,000 comments that members submitted on the proposed standard during a recent ballot, says Clint Chaplin, wireless standards lead at Symbol Technologies. Completion is likely in mid-2005. According to Cisco's Myles, the Wi-Fi Alliance will launch a testing and certification program for 802.11d and k next year.
802.11r, fast roaming: Handing off clients quickly from one access point to another with their authentication and security policies intact becomes critical when clients are moving, such as VoIP calls made with handheld WLAN phones, Chaplin says. This group, launched in 2004, is creating a standard way to make roaming fast, so that users don't have to re-authenticate at each new access point or have their calls disrupted, he says.
-- 802.11s, wireless mesh for access points: Formed in early 2004, this group is creating a standard that will let access points act as routers for wireless data, forwarding traffic to neighboring access points as Internet nodes do today with a series of multi-hop transmissions. Such mesh networks are inherently more reliable because they can route around failed nodes, and can adjust to balance traffic loads and optimize performance. The members still are sorting out their approach and schedule. Symbol's Chaplin says the first call for proposals likely will be next month.
802.11d, multi-country roaming: Old by WLAN standards, the working group finalized 802.11d in 2001. It's a way for WLAN access points to broadcast what country they're in and what country-specific rules client network interface cards have to follow. You can fly from New York to Rome, walk into your office or hotel, fire up your wireless laptop and expect to connect with whatever WLAN is open.
802.11F, inter-access point protocol: The capital "F" designates a "recommended practice" not a formal standard in IEEE parlance. The basic idea was to create a way for access points to talk among themselves and to transfer data associated with a connection quickly from one access point to another. But WLAN vendors already have figured out how to do this on their own for their own access points. The document was published in mid-2003, but so far is not being embraced. "There are a set of technical issues that make this (hand-off) difficult," says Andrew Myles, manager of wireless standards for Cisco Systems's Wireless Networking Business Unit. "As far as I know at this point, no one is planning to support it."
802.11h, dynamic frequency selection, and transmission power control: the original idea for 802.11h was to create a set of management messages for access points and clients in the European 5-GHz band to coordinate efforts to avoid interfering with radar and satellite communications in the same band, Atheros' Li says. The WLAN devices select another channel and adjust power output if needed. But these same actions can be used to improve WLAN efficiency, quite apart from any specific regulatory rules, according to Li, as more countries open more 5-GHz bandwidth for use by 802.11a WLANs. The standard was final in September 2003. Products with some of these features might start appearing soon. Some elements of this work are being carried into another standard, 802.11k.
802.11j, use of the 4.9- to 5-GHz spectrum in Japan: Originally, this group's work was focused on making changes to the 802.11 media access control and 802.11a PHY layers to gain Japanese regulatory approval in this band. But Li points out that the FCC recently allocated this same band for licensed spectrum set aside solely for public safety and homeland security. The 802.11j work on how to use this spectrum could prove useful in the U.S. as vendors introduce products for public safety networks in this band.
802.11k, radio resource management: Launched in late 2002, this project will standardize an array of radio measurements, dealing with roaming requests, an array of data about the radio channel and data about the client devices. In addition, this data can be made available to higher-level WLAN management applications, where the information can be used in tasks such as optimizing performance and balancing traffic loads. Task Group K is sifting through some 1,000 comments that members submitted on the proposed standard during a recent ballot, says Clint Chaplin, wireless standards lead at Symbol Technologies. Completion is likely in mid-2005. According to Cisco's Myles, the Wi-Fi Alliance will launch a testing and certification program for 802.11d and k next year.
802.11r, fast roaming: Handing off clients quickly from one access point to another with their authentication and security policies intact becomes critical when clients are moving, such as VoIP calls made with handheld WLAN phones, Chaplin says. This group, launched in 2004, is creating a standard way to make roaming fast, so that users don't have to re-authenticate at each new access point or have their calls disrupted, he says.
-- 802.11s, wireless mesh for access points: Formed in early 2004, this group is creating a standard that will let access points act as routers for wireless data, forwarding traffic to neighboring access points as Internet nodes do today with a series of multi-hop transmissions. Such mesh networks are inherently more reliable because they can route around failed nodes, and can adjust to balance traffic loads and optimize performance. The members still are sorting out their approach and schedule. Symbol's Chaplin says the first call for proposals likely will be next month.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
In the clouds over municipal Wi-Fi
City wide WiFi projects giving residents wireless broadband access is a hot topic among local leaders. Many towns and cities are planning networks and as Aaron Nutt, puts it; "Wi-Fi is no longer a 'coffee house' technology and represents a potentially serious disruptive challenge to the current wireline-based broadband market." read the very interesting perspective from Thomas Hazlett. Full Story
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Cisco Systems to Acquire Airespace
Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Airespace, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Airespace is a provider of wireless local area networking ("WLAN") systems, which provide a secure, flexible, and cost effective solution for enterprise and commercial customers. Airespace's product portfolio will expand Cisco's WLAN solution portfolio, accelerating delivery of key WLAN features and capabilities for Cisco's entire customer base. Airespace's product portfolio includes WLAN controllers, Access Points, WLAN Management and Location Software, and Security capabilities, including IDS. The acquisition will allow Cisco to address a broader set of market segments and integrate advanced capabilities into current Cisco products. Press release from Cisco.
Radio Hams at Risk from Mains Broadband -Magazine
Many power companies have been exploring for some time now the possibilities of using their power lines for broadband internet access to their customers created additional revenues stream for them. Which sounds good on the surface, but their may be some very harmful concerns from old school ham radio operators. Read the full story for more details.
Intel To Lobby In Support Of Municipal Wi-Fi Projects
Intel needs muni-Fi in order to push mobile and fixed WiMax. An Intel spokesperson tut-tutted about lobbying, but said Intel would use its influence. Which is, ah, let’s see. Well, close enough, but we’ll be happy to watch King Kong fight Mothra from a distance.
Sean Maloney, executive vice president of Intel's Communications Group, told the Wireless Communications Alliance (WCA) conference in San Jose that Intel would work to get municipalities and telecommunications vendors to cooperate on developing wireless access instead of being adversarial.
Link to story
Sean Maloney, executive vice president of Intel's Communications Group, told the Wireless Communications Alliance (WCA) conference in San Jose that Intel would work to get municipalities and telecommunications vendors to cooperate on developing wireless access instead of being adversarial.
Link to story
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Verizon Thinks EVDO Trumps Wi-Fi
If Verizon is really looking at EVDO as a single mode delivery mechanism over which they deliver a variety of services, they’re out of step with what SBC (and Cingular, as a majority-owned partner) is telling the industry is the future: integration across DSL, Wi-FI, and cellular, with applications layered across all three modes of delivery to their customers. Customers seek the right kind of bandwidth for the application rather than stapling the application on top of the bandwidth that the firm has available.
Among other trends, Verizon Wirelss seems to have missed the VoIP train and the increasing trend for bandwidth heavy and low latency services, and those applications could trump video on a tiny screen wherever you want it. Link to Story
Among other trends, Verizon Wirelss seems to have missed the VoIP train and the increasing trend for bandwidth heavy and low latency services, and those applications could trump video on a tiny screen wherever you want it. Link to Story
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Verizon's victory in Pennsylvania will be short-lived
This is a news story that first ran over a month ago but It describes how the Incumbent Carriers still have to much monoplistics power.
"For now, apparently, Philadelphia and Verizon have come to terms to let the Wi-Fi project go ahead as planned, albeit with a one-year time limit for Philly to complete the rollout. But a new Pennsylvania law allows incumbent carriers to block such projects in the future and also leaves the remaining Pennsylvania municipalities at the mercy of having to partner with incumbents like Verizon." Full Story
"For now, apparently, Philadelphia and Verizon have come to terms to let the Wi-Fi project go ahead as planned, albeit with a one-year time limit for Philly to complete the rollout. But a new Pennsylvania law allows incumbent carriers to block such projects in the future and also leaves the remaining Pennsylvania municipalities at the mercy of having to partner with incumbents like Verizon." Full Story
Oracle Unveils Mobile Database
Mobile technologies have moved well beyond the realm of sales force and field service workers, Oracle contends, with adoption by the defense, national security, and health and public safety industries, which require centralized control and application access among their mobile device users. Full Story
802.11n - “Pre-n” or Not “Pre-n”, That is the Question
Some equipment vendors, notably Belkin, have released products claiming to be “pre-n", while other providers of the technology are more cautious: chip-maker Airgo claims approval for its design by governments around the world, for example, but does not use the n-word. Full Story
Monday, January 10, 2005
Verizon's VCAST: Video Over EVDO Phones
“3G is here – we are delivering true 3G services to our customers; this is not a plan for services on the horizon, this is about now," said Denny Strigl, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.
Starting February 1, Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use new handsets to access VCAST’s video on-demand service, viewing current news, weather, sports and entertainment programming. They will also be able to download and play cutting-edge three-dimensional games on powerful new handsets. Customers will also be able to watch music videos and short programs specifically designed for mobile phones and other video applications on their handsets.
Full Story
Starting February 1, Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use new handsets to access VCAST’s video on-demand service, viewing current news, weather, sports and entertainment programming. They will also be able to download and play cutting-edge three-dimensional games on powerful new handsets. Customers will also be able to watch music videos and short programs specifically designed for mobile phones and other video applications on their handsets.
Full Story
Motorola's Canopy Wireless Broadband Products for EU
Motorola's design and proprietary technology incorporate a global positioning system (GPS), multiple layers of encryption and interference protection. Canopy radios are small, easy to install and unobtrusive, which are appealing benefits in historic and notable architectural locations. The Canopy solution has been designed from a feature and price perspective for Internet service providers and private networks operators to deliver broadband to residences and businesses. Service providers will be able to offer increased data speeds, performance and quality of service to their customers, including high-quality voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).
FULL STORY
FULL STORY
Alvarion Developing Mobile WiMAX System
WiMAX equipment vendor Alvarion said Thursday it is creating a mobile wireless broadband system based on the still-unratified 802.16e standard.
The first equipment certified as meeting 802.16 standards " better known as WiMAX " is expected in the first half of this year. However, WiMAX has received criticism for not having a mobile component. The 802.16e standard, which provides mobility, isn't expected to become final for at least a year. Full Story
The first equipment certified as meeting 802.16 standards " better known as WiMAX " is expected in the first half of this year. However, WiMAX has received criticism for not having a mobile component. The 802.16e standard, which provides mobility, isn't expected to become final for at least a year. Full Story
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Wi-Fi Digital Media Player Designs from BridgeCo
BridgeCo (http://www.bridgeco.net), a leading provider of digital home entertainment networking solutions, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show today that it has developed two turn-key reference designs for high-performance digital media players (DMP) with wireless LAN capabilities. Read the full story
Friday, January 07, 2005
T-Mobile, Kodak Team on Wi-Fi Photo Sharing
Kodak and T-Mobile today announced an agreement to simplify online picture sharing using Wi-Fi outside of the home or office.FULL STORY
Wireless Relief in Tsunami-Torn Regions
This is week old news but I feel it is important to post it anyway for readers who can help with relief efforts in the Tsunami affected regions.
For more information or to discuss a donation of funds, equipment, or your expertise, contact Mike Outmesguine by email “mo at wifi-toys.com” or voice: +1-818-889-9445 ext. 102
UPDATE: Here is a video of that interview in Windows Media and RealPlayer format..
For more information or to discuss a donation of funds, equipment, or your expertise, contact Mike Outmesguine by email “mo at wifi-toys.com” or voice: +1-818-889-9445 ext. 102
UPDATE: Here is a video of that interview in Windows Media and RealPlayer format..
Voice to Text for SMS
Forget That Thumb-Board, Samsung Lets You Talk Your Text Messages Into Your Phone I am one of those lazy mobile phone users and think that this one might make my life even lazier. I hate typing. Apparently, all I have to do is speak. Let me me know what you think about voice to text. Up to now we have only had text to voice.
Welcome - First Post
This blog will focus on wireless and mobile data solutions. All things wireless will be discussed and check back often for the latest news and updates on WiFi, 802.11, 3G, CDMA EVDO, GSM Edge/GPRS, WiMAX, hotspots, RFID, and other emerging wireless technologies.
Free feel to contact me at send any news, suggestions and other information to wirelessdatainfo at yahoo.com.
Thank you.
Free feel to contact me at send any news, suggestions and other information to wirelessdatainfo at yahoo.com.
Thank you.
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