Category: Commentary

The new wireless standard -- just imagine WiFi on steroids -- is quickly gaining traction among the big technology players. Via [businessweek.com]

The wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi, industry is finally consolidating after sparking dozens of start-ups. Via [usatoday.com]

On May 25, 2005, U.S. Representative Pete Sessions (R-Texas) proposed HR 2726, called the "Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act of 2005." This bill would "prohibit municipal governments from offering telecommunications, information, or cable services except to remedy market failures by private enterprise to provide such services." Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

The introduction of WiMAX wide area wireless networking will offer multiple benefits for businesses and consumers, including lower broadband costs and improved service choice, research published today predicts. Via [vnunet.com]

Across the nation, suburbs, coastal beach towns and big cities all are debating the role government should take in making sure their citizens have access to the Internet. Via [seattletimes.nwsource.com]

While the number of hot-spots is on the rise, adoption of Wi-Fi services by businesses is slower than predicted. Via [informationweek.com]

Analysts predict that WiMax will achieve success in the fixed access market within a few years, but are less confident about how its mobile variant will perform. Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), based in the US and not to be confused with our own Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), creates standards for various aspects of electronics. The best-known standards in the IT field are those written by committee 802, which include the standards for Ethernet, other LAN access methods...

Even with tens of thousands of hot-spots available to mobile workers, analysts say adoption of the technology among businesses has been slower than expected. Via [informationweek.com]

Although shipments of wireless Lan equipment for homes and small businesses have increased strongly since the first 802.11b-compliant consumer Wi-Fi kit arrived in 2000, prices have plummeted. Via [vnunet.com]

Will WiMax be the connectivity panacea that displaces Wi-Fi, cable and DSL, or will it be irrelevant before it ever reaches the mainstream? Via [searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com]

Last year, I lamented the growing confusion in the communications industry due to several different standardization efforts. You have the wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), cdma2000 1x EV-DO (including CDMA 450), IEEE 802.11x, WiMAX, Wireless USB (over Ultrawideband), Bluetooth ver 2, Zigbee and a few others we don't talk about much these...

New gear can extend the range of wireless Net access throughout your house, boosting coverage in those hard-to-reach spots. Via [businessweek.com]

A group of local government officials gathered in Philadelphia this week to discuss strategies for deploying their own citywide broadband wireless networks. Via [news.zdnet.com]

InnerWireless spokesman Tony Katsulos said that the "wireless clouds that are being discussed for Philadelphia, Minneapolis and other cities will not only be very difficult to implement, but they won't provide in-building coverage, for the same reason that cell phone signals can't penetrate buildings." Via [technewsworld.com]