Belden Steals Trapeze For A Song Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 09:47 PM
In a surprise announcement last Friday, Belden announced a $133M cash acquisition of Trapeze Networks. The surprise wasn't so much that Trapeze might be acquired -- privately held and not having had the same level of success as its fierce competitors, it was not altogether surprising -- but who purchased it. There are several enterprise networking vendors that OEM rather than own wireless product line (i.e., Extreme, Foundry, Juniper, etc.) that could have benefited from Trapeze's wireless expertise, no one more than Nortel Networks.
Spectrum Bridge Liberates Enterprises From Unlicensed Spectrum Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:02 PM
The key to a successful marketplace is the free flow of goods. Important factors include not only the goods themselves, but also information about those goods and a means to exchange them.
Strata8 Approach Unique, Not Without Business Risks Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:52 PM
J. Gerry Purdy, VP and chief analyst at Frost & Sullivan, recently wrote a short article about Strata8 Networks. The basic concept of Strata8's system is that it's a microcellular operator within a wireless carrier's larger network. The other important component is its PBX integration, delivered by Tango Networks.
Cisco's 'Enhanced Power Over Ethernet': Intentional Design Or Happenstance Feature? Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 09:58 PM
To understand it as Cisco tells the story, you might presume that its "Enhanced Power over Ethernet" was designed on the drawing boards many moons ago. For those not familiar with "Enhanced PoE," it's Cisco's nomenclature for the ability of some of its switches to provide power beyond the IEEE 803.3af standard of 15.4 W.
Siemens' PoE Claims Validated Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 09:46 PM
At first blush it would seem as though the enterprise Wi-Fi vendor community has become a trend-follower and gone green, focused on saving power at every turn. But the potential power demands of dual-radio 802.11n Draft 2.0 access points have sent engineers back to the drawing board. The current PoE (Power over Ethernet) standard, IEEE 803.af, only delivers 12.95 W at the end of a 100-meter Cat5E cable, but without optimization, power consumption can easily be in the upper teens.
Lower-Powered 802.11n Chipset Makes Necessary Compromises Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:23 PM
Powering the new enterprise-grade 802.11n access points continues to be one of the necessary talking points for vendors and an item of concern for enterprises. That's interesting because, before 802.11n, powering APs hasn't really been a significant discussion item. Some dual-radio APs (i.e., Cisco's 1200 series) have pushed the limits of some PoE (power over Ethernet) switches, but the AP always was well within IEEE 802.3af specifications.
No 5 GHz-Capable 802.11n USB Dongle In Sight Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:54 PM
Although mobile WiMax is as new a technology as any other wireless standard, there are at least two different vendors that have WiMax-capable USB dongles available on the market (Wavesat being one of them). Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case with 5-GHz 802.11n, even though SOHO manufacturers have been pumping out 802.11n-like product for over a year.
Meru's Debut 802.11n Customer Now Using....802.11n Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:08 AM
I couldn't help but take notice of the choice of words another publication used to describe the status of Morrisville State College's implementation of 802.11n Meru access points: "shakedown phase".
Cisco Powers Up Switch Support For Their Dual-Radio 802.11n APs Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:17 PM
When Cisco made its 802.11n 1250-series AP announcement a few months ago, one of the more interesting aspects was its claim that the PoE capabilities in some existing desktop switches and blades for its chassis-based solutions would be able to power all the radio chains in its dual-radio 802.11n access points and that it would only need a software upgrade to access them. Cisco was intentionally vague in its communications and presentations. It wanted to present to the public the greatest degree of backward compatibility and support even while it was verifying the hardware capabilities and coding the software.
HP Treads Slowly? Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:31 PM
I've only read this in a mailing list and not confirmed this with HP's public relations folks, but it appears that HP will not release an 802.11n compatible access point until after the standard is ratified, which most anticipate will not be until the end of 2008, early 2009. If this is true, that means Nortel, who plans to have 802.11n gear available the second half of 2008, very late by their competitor's standards, would be in the game ahead of HP.
Legacy Equipment And 802.11n Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:23 PM
Organizations apprehensive about 802.11n have pointed to the lack of IEEE ratification and interoperability with legacy devices as two significant concerns. While the first concern won't likely be satisfactorily addressed for another year, thankfully the IEEE has made interoperability a key component of the IEEE 802.11n draft. But it's one thing for engineers to agree to something on paper; the rubber doesn't really hit the road until the devices are installed into production systems and put into everyday use.
Oh, I don't disagree with any of these points. But we're seeing a different attitude toward these risks than we would have in years past. That's what I find interesting.
Plus, if I am not mistaken, close to 90% of mobile devices in most companies were brought in by the employee, and almost all the security risks you outline below apply to these devices, too. Yet, they're still storing company info. Is this a bomb waiting to explode? Probably so. But it's not stopping this trend, which is what is interesting.
Is it even feasible to manage risk from this paradigm anymore? That's the question I want to explore and continue to explore.
Is The iPhone Enterprise Ready? Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 04:53 PM
The discussion as to whether or not the iPhone is ready to be brought within the walls of the enterprise has heated up again in recent weeks. First, Apple announced the forthcoming release of its software developers' kit, which is slated for release in February. The SDK should lay the necessary groundwork for software developers to create applications for the iPhone in addition to the Web services applications Apple envisioned with the iPhone’s release. Next, Synchronica, Visto, and most recently Sybase iAnywhere released support for secure push e-mail for enterprise e-mail systems such as Exchange. These services all do roughly the same thing: create a secure IMAP relay server that interfaces with Exchange and allows iPhones to retrieve e-mail without the need for running IMAP services on the Exchange server itself. Add forthcoming support by Avaya for fixed-mobile convergence services on the iPhone and the question has to be asked: Is the iPhone primed to be a part of the enterprise?
Re-examining 802.11n Greenfield Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:00 PM
In my last blog I reviewed the rising use of 802.11a, despite pessimistic predictions and less than complete market acceptance of the standard. Organizations deploying Wi-Fi gear several years ago may have compared 802.11g to 802.11a and decided not to purchase dual-radio, 5-GHz capable APs, based on the fact that even though both offer the same data rates, 802.11a support added cost, had slightly less coverage, and there were many less client cards that supported the standard. And 802.11a was not picked up by all enterprise and SOHO vendors and there was much fumbling around. But 802.11n appears to be considerably different: it’s seriously regarded as the next major phase in the enterprise WLAN market offering significantly better performance, extended coverage, greater reliability, and vendor support on all fronts.
From B/G to N: is A getting in between? Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:50 PM
In discussions with vendors and users regarding possibly migration strategies to 802.11n, the question has come up more than once how to deal with 802.11a. For organizations that never deployed dual-band access points this won’t be a problem, but surveys and anecdotal reports suggest that perhaps up to 50% of enterprises have a dual-mode deployment (802.11b/g at 2.4 GHz and 802.11a at 5 GHz).
Viral Video of the Week: Rise of the Android Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 11:44 AM
There's been alot of buzz about Android -- Google's open-source mobile phone platform. Now we get to see it in action. In this video, Google's Sergey Brin and Steve Horowitz discuss the availability of the SDK and demo applications on the Android platform.
Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11n status report means little for enterprises Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 09:41 PM
The Wi-Fi Alliance issued a press release today touting the certification of over 4000 devices, of which 140 received 802.11n draft 2.0 certification. While this bodes well for the consumer shopping at their local big box electronics store, those in the enterprise space have a little less to get excited about.
A quick glance at the current list of 802.11n draft 2.0 products show that only two enterprise WLAN vendors are represented: Cisco and Meru. Colubris and Trapeze, both which announced products months ago, are missing. Colubris announced product in May. Trapeze, in a press release around the same time stated that their 802.11n AP is “Wi-Fi certifiable when the Wi-Fi Alliance launches its 802.11n certification program in June”, but that was almost half a year ago.
Two vendors can be given a little reprieve: Aruba and Xirrus. Aruba demonstrated some restraint by announcing their 802.11n products just last week and general availability at the end of November. Even though it hasn't yet been submitted, they are anticipating certification by the end of the year. Xirrus very recently shared some news regarding ongoing beta trials of their 802.11n product, having previously only shared an outline of their upgrade program. Xirrus’ PR representative shared that they are aiming for certification in the first quarter of 2008.
There’s no doubt that the vendors mentioned above, plus 3Com, Extricom, Motorola, and Siemens, will eventually get their product certified, but the Wi-Fi Alliance’s announcement this week is another data point that despite the years of anticipation through the IEEE committee and the months of vendor announcements, 802.11n is still in the very earliest of stages. Its one thing to go ahead with 802.11n product before the IEEE ratifies the standard, but to skip the Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification would appear unnecessarily risky. Even if you don't put much stock in the Alliance's certification process, it provides, at a minimum, a small indication of the vendor’s own confidence that their product market ready.
Help Wanted: Site Planning And Surveying Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:08 PM
It's not often that vendors alert me of feature gaps from supporting products in their ecosystem. Many times vendors partner with them to build out a feature or functionality that will more effectively leverage their own products.
3Com Promises 802.11n Products Later, Not Earlier Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:02 PM
Networking vendor 3Com has not often been a technology leader and innovator, but more often considered a fast follower. In the enterprise wireless space the hot topic is 802.11n, and 3Com is in pursuit.
HP's Mobile SOA Vision: Consumers Developing Location-Based Apps Posted By
Andy Dornan
at 12:41 AM
HP has just announced
its Service Delivery Platform 2.0, a SOA bundle aimed at telcos. The
interesting parts are its intended applications, and how similar the
telcos are to other enterprises.
Aruba Reveals 802.11n Lineup Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:01 PM
Aruba Networks made its first 802.11n product announcement this week by adding new wireless controllers and 802.11n access points, as well as incrementing its controller software.
Although rumored about weeks ago, there wasn't doubt in any customer or competitors' minds that Aruba had 802.11n product under development. Unlike many product announcements from technology companies, where there is a measurable element of innovation and ingenuity, the 802.11n product announcements to date, including this one, are in many ways merely the tangible culmination of several years of IEEE task group work. With standards the ultimate equalizer, vendors have emphasized their architecture, performance, and implementation flexibility as key differentiators. Aruba follows much of the same formula.
The Towering Heights of Wireless Backhaul Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 12:12 AM
For those who haven't mentally stepped through the process of building a wireless PtP or PtMP link, let me give you a heads up, literally: if your building isn't tall or the terrain doesn't lends itself to some kind of unnatural elevation, you're going to have to seriously consider building a tower.
Wi-Fi Security Hysteria Promulgated by UM Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:58 AM
It's distressing enough when a lay person mistakes the facts surrounding Wi-Fi security, but it's even more painful when an institution of higher learning, in this case the University of Maryland, leads people further astray.
What's Xohm? Sprint gives more detail on WiMAX Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 03:13 PM
While all of Sprint's services from push to talk (CEO Gary Forsee announced that Sprint's PTT services both iDEN and CDMA will be marketed as Nextel Direct Connect) to Sprint's Pivot quad-play product got their moment in the sun, it was clear that the day was dedicated to WiMAX. Sprint's new service will be marked as Xohm (pronounced Zohm) and Sprint expects to have 100 million people covered by Xohm service by 2008. The tone of Sprint's briefing was interesting, particularly given the interactions I've had with the company on WiMAX before. In previous discussions WiMAX just seemed like another access medium and myself and colleagues at Network Computing struggled to figure out the answer to: "If WiMAX is the answer, what is the question?"
RIM goes dual mode with 8820 Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 06:45 PM
Arguably, you can say that RIM has had Wi-Fi in its portfolio since 2004 when it introduced the Wi-Fi only 7270 into the market. However, where the real rubber meets the road for Wi-Fi and handheld devices is in the "dual mode" category that incorporates both Wi-Fi and cellular technology in the same device. Competitors like Nokia and HTC have offered dual mode devices for some time; today, RIM has finally provided its answer: the BlackBerry 8820
The Wireless Edge: 3GPP Technologies Make Impressive Strides Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 03:43 PM
As the wireless industry plays an ever larger role in the global communications infrastructure, the level of development effort going into the evolution of different wireless technologies is remarkable. On June 12 in Dallas, I chaired a Portable Computer and Communications Association (PCCA) meeting on HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) sponsored by 3G Americas. On June 13, AT&T hosted an HSPA workshop under an NDA arrangement where attendees were able to get hands-on time with forthcoming services and devices. The meeting provided the perfect crystal ball experience to see how wireless networks will be able to deliver speeds almost one hundred times faster than current 3G systems by early next decade. That's remarkable when you consider that current 3G systems are a hundred times faster than the first wireless IP systems such as CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data).
Here's mud in your iPhone Posted By
Mike Fratto
at 06:44 PM
I don't care about the iPhone. Unless Apple wants to buy out my current contract with Verizon Wireless or Verizon Wireless wants to start carrying the iPhone, I know that I won't be buying one any time soon. I plunked down a pretty penny for my Treo 700P and I use the messaging and calendaring features daily.
What the Heck is a 'Mobile Companion' Anyway Posted By
Rich Karpinski
at 01:34 PM
Network Computing's technology editors love shiny new gadgets. The Foleo -- Palm's new "mobile companion" created instant discussion among their ranks on the system's usability, use cases -- and future. Follow their debate and then let us know what you think.
IEEE 802.11n and Architecture Redux at Interop Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:49 AM
All the major enterprise WLAN vendors made their way to Interop Las Vegas 2007 last week, and I had the opportunity to meet with the majority of them. Top on my list: IEEE 802.11n and enterprise WLAN architecture providers. While previous briefings sketched out the key issues, these one-on-one meetings fleshed out some of the details (live demos didn't hurt, either).
Interop 2007 - 3G in Sin City Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 01:40 PM
Put 20,000 techies into Las Vegas for Interop 2007, add 50,000 BlackBerry addicted real estate professionals (attending the 2007 ICSC show) and you get a perfect storm for cellular carriers. During this year's Interop show myself and Contributing Editor Jameson Blandford brought a variety of 3G equipment so we could still be productive while on the road. While we were able to use 3G to stay engaged with the office, the performance differed than in past trials.
RIM's Puzzling BlackBerry Windows Play Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 03:39 PM
Today, Research In Motion said it is developing a new software application suite that will let BlackBerry applications run on Windows Mobile-based devices.
RIM said they would begin offering the new software suite later this year. Once installed, the software will provide Windows Mobile users with an experience virtually identical to what they would receive on BlackBerry hardware, including BlackBerry e-mail, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser, instant messaging and other applications developed for the BlackBerry platform. The devices would also be able to connect to BlackBerry services using BlackBerry Enterprise Server as well as BlackBerry Internet Service.
The Wireless Edge: Leveraging QoS and VoIP with 3G: Not an Easy Marriage Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 10:36 AM
There's lots of confusion out there about QoS, VoIP, and 3G, especially as these don't work quite the way many people think. This is an area I've been studying intently as it pertains to various projects, and after hearing QUALCOMM speak recently on the topic in a technical presentation on EVDO Rev A, I thought I would take the opportunity to clear some misconceptions, and organize my own thoughts.
The Wireless Propagator: The Dual-Mode Choke Hold Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:33 AM
Conspiracy theories abound regarding a variety of topics, from alien crash sites in Roswell, N.M., the true perpetrator of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and Microsoft's domination in the consumer and enterprise desktop market. So it should come as no surprise when telecom watchdogs start banging their drums concerning the relative dearth of cellular handsets with integrated Wi-Fi--also called dual-mode phones--in the U.S. marketplace. For all the success of home Wi-Fi sales, publicity surrounding metro Wi-Fi networks, and the customer base of both pure-play VoIP providers such as Vonage and Packet8 and 'digital phone' providers such as Time Warner, Cox, and Comcast, it's somewhat ironic that dual-mode handsets haven't seen greater success in the United States.
Air Time: Let the Most Scalable Wireless Network Win Posted By
Dave Molta
at 10:32 AM
As the movers and shakers in wide-area wireless converge on Orlando for the CTIA conference and exhibition this week, much of the hype will focus on new wireless devices that run over cellular broadband networks, new mobile services and the emerging market for mobile WiMAX. In one corner, you have a mature oligopoly of cellular carriers catering to the impulsive desires of consumers. In the other corner are members of a renegade WiMAX ecosystem, high on promise but slow to get out of the gate.
He Said/He Said/He Said: Cracking on WEP Posted By
Rich Karpinski
at 06:03 PM
Our tech editors debate the security flaws -- and competitive alternatives -- to WEP, the much-derided security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard.
Wireless Propagator: When Wi-Fi Clients Meet Infrastructure Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:07 PM
If you follow this column regularly you know that I don't cover the software aspect of wireless and mobility very often, but recently when user posted a question about managing client Wi-Fi profiles in a listserv I follow I thought that perhaps some enterprise wireless IT managers and admins might benefit from some of the responses that were posted in regards to that question and in previous threads.
Who Gets The Cellular Bill? Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 04:18 PM
According to soon-to-be-released research from In-Stat:
The most effective way for an organization to manage its telecommunications resources is to treat wireless the way most organizations treat wireline services and other business productivity services. This means that users contract for centralized billing for business lines and allow for some incidental personal usage.
Surveying 1023 business users, In-Stat found only 44 percent of employers used this approach. The slight majority let individuals negotiate a contract with a wireless carrier and submit it as an expense. According to In-Stat, however, "the administrative time spent completing expense reports and reviewing bills, etc. exceeds the costs of the personal calls that employees would have made if the employer."
The truth is, enterprises really need to get better at figuring out what their policy is going to be when it comes to billing for wireless services. Continue reading "Who Gets The Cellular Bill?"
He-Said/He-Said: WiMAX vs. Landline Broadband Posted By
Rich Karpinski
at 05:38 PM
Over in our News Analysis section today, we have a story on the IEEE working to boost WiMAX speeds. That led a couple of our editors, Frank Bulk and Sean Ginevan, to debate the prospect of a wireless technology overtaking wired options as a primary wide area data option.
The Wireless Edge: 802.11n for the Enterprise--Not a Trivial Upgrade Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 02:46 PM
Six hundred megabits per second! That is the highest theoretical speed of IEEE 802.11n if a product implements all the mandatory, as well as optional, capabilities of the standard. The same core radio technology that enables these high rates also extends range, which results in increased AP (access point) coverage. Although speed and range are generally good things, there are ramifications, along with various other things to consider, with this standard. I bring this topic up now for two reasons. First, IEEE is planning to release the second draft (draft 2.0) of the IEEE 802.11n standard this quarter, with compliant products available shortly thereafter. Second, I'm teaching a course on Wi-Fi technology evolution and integration at Portland State University on January 26 (see http://www.rysavy.com/training.html for more details), so I've been busily creating and updating 802.11n slideware.
The Week of the iPhone Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 05:59 PM
It was a whirlwind, roller-coaster week for cell phone users, gadget buffs and curious onlookers as Apple's CEO Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPhone. With its futuristic, flat screen panel and promises of music playing, phone service and internet connectivity, the iPhone was the talk of CES. But as the week passed, there was a bevy of interesting developments including concerns about the iPhone's performance and (gasp) a possible lawsuit by Cisco over the product name.
Here's a recap of some of those news stories. No doubt there will be plenty more in the weeks ahead.
Apple Reinvents The Phone
Apple's CEO Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone, which he says is an iPod, a mobile phone, and an Internet communication device.
iPhone is Beautiful, But it's Also Slow
Cingular is working on technologies to speed up its network, but no significant breakthroughs are expected in time for the formal delivery of the iPhone in June.
Cisco Sues Apple Over iPhone Name
Cisco, which recently introduced its own Wi-Fi phone with the iPhone brand, says it's owned the trademark since 2000.
Wireless Propagator: BT: FMC Across the Pond Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:47 AM
Over the holidays I kept busy reading the news reviews of 2006 and predictions for 2007. Don't worry, I won't subject to you to my own top-10 list, but I will confirm that FMC (fixed-mobile convergence) is on it. If your e-mail inbox is anything like mine, there won't be a day this year on which the term 'FMC' won't pop up in some newsletter.
Airgo(ne) to Qualcomm Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 04:05 PM
Qualcomm announced last week its purchase of two companies, RF Micro
Devices for its Bluetooth and Airgo Networks for its pre-802.11n chipsets
and intellectual property surrounding MIMO. Although both companies have
received little attention in the enterprise, if Qualcomm has its way,
Airgo's technology would find its way into every handset and laptop.
Air Time: Cisco vs. Meru: You Make the Call Posted By
Dave Molta
at 11:59 AM
The past three weeks have been quite a rollercoaster ride for my co-author, Jameson Blandford, and me as we've dealt with feedback on our November 9 Network Computing article entitled "The Meru Chronicles." This article was the culmination of a six-month project involving the analysis of WLAN gear from Meru Networks.
The Wireless Edge: Using VPNs With Wireless Networks Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 01:48 PM
I've been involved with multiple projects to assess the use of VPN (virtual private network) technologies over wireless networks. The most recent is pulling content together for a Webcast I'll be doing on December 5 for Cingular Wireless titled "Optimal Use of VPNs Over Cellular Networks." (See http://developer.cingular.com/ for details.) The good news is that an increasing number of effective options result in improved performance, reliability and control. The bad news is that all the options and tradeoffs are complicated.
The Wireless Edge: Ditching the Laptop Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 11:40 AM
Symbian executives at the Symbian Smartphone Show in London last month spoke about the increasing role of smartphones, even suggesting that with the advances in smartphones, people may wonder soon why they need PCs at all. They pointed out that in developing countries where wireless penetration is far outpacing wireline penetration, a phone is a more logical connectivity appliance than a PC. The execs noted that in India the PC market is growing at 5 million units a year, while mobile phones are growing at that rate each month.
Wireless Propagator: T-Mobile Catches Lucky 3G Break Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 10:48 AM
I don't normally cover the cellular space, deferring to co-columnist and 3G expert Peter Rysavy, but it's impossible for me to pass by this past week's biggest wireless news story: T-Mobile USA's joint announcement with German parent company Deutsche Telekom to roll out nationwide 3G.
Air Time: Mobile ESPN: A Blowout Loss Posted By
Dave Molta
at 11:53 AM
The idea seemed compelling. ESPN as a brand dwarfs all other providers
of sports content, in both scope and breath. With the emergence of broadband
cellular networks and smartphones, the delivery of rich content to sports
nuts had become a viable possibility. Virgin Mobile had achieved significant
success as an early MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), buying cellular
capacity at wholesale prices and reselling it at retail to consumers. However,
after making a big splash with a well-publicized Super Bowl launch last February,
Mobile ESPN attracted far fewer subscribers than expected. Imagine if the first
Super Bowl was held in an 80,000-seat stadium and only 10,000 fans showed up. It
might have been one and done for that idea as well. That was the scenario facing
managers at ESPN Mobile. In July, Merrill Lynch analysts recommended that the
plug be pulled. Last week, Mobile ESPN subscribers were informed that they had
until the end of the year to find a new provider.
The Wireless Edge: Mobile Computing Policy and De-Perimeterization Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 11:23 AM
On September 20, I chaired a meeting of the Portable Computer and
Communications Association on the topic of
"Mobile Computing Policy and Network Access Control." The PCCA meets
quarterly to address developments in wireless and mobile computing,
and meetings have good representation from operators, device vendors,
computer vendors and wireless middleware providers. This meeting, hosted
by NetMotion Wireless, proved quite illuminating, making me realize that
mobile computing is simultaneously maturing and becoming an evermore
complex field, with new aspects to consider. Policy management is one
aspect. De-perimeterization (not an English word, but used at the
meeting and a descriptive nevertheless) is another.
On the road to 4G Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 04:12 PM
In announcing that they had decided to deploy a WiMAX network using their 2.5GHz spectrum, Sprint proclaimed that their decision marked their commitment to building a 4G wireless broadband network. Several commentators, including Network Computing's own, Peter Rysavy, were quick to point out that WiMAX did not mark the development of a 4G network if only because there was no 4G standards effort at the time.
The Cable-less Console Posted By
Jameson Blandford
at 06:15 PM
Serial based console ports have long been the lowest common denominator when it comes to configuring routers and switches. Although in-band management solutions such as telnet, SNMP and SSH allow for far greater flexibility, the physical nature of a serial connection ensures an administrator has a configuration backup plan when devices malfunction and configurations go awry. Despite this advantage, few administrators look forward to carrying around bulky serial cables but up and coming Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Profile) devices such as BlueConsole2 bring the promise of console configuration without the wires.
Yankee Group Study Reveals Attitudes Toward Mobile Data Among Small and Medium Sized Businesses Posted By
Sean Ginevan
at 04:41 PM
Last week, the Information Technology Solution Provider Alliance (ITSPA) put out a press release about the adoption of mobile data solutions amongst small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). The release cited a study, conducted by the Yankee Group, that surveyed SMBs about their attitudes toward mobility. The study had some interesting conclusions which I went into more detail about with the Yankee Group's Gary Chen on a conference call today.
Wireless Propagator: A Wireless Repeater to Switch Transition? -- Part 4 Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 01:58 PM
In my last three columns I discussed the challenges of dense wireless deployments and some of the ways they can be addressed. In the first column, I focused on channel design and selection. In the second column, I looked at the poly-radio APs (access points) from Meru and Xirrus that facilitate dense deployments by dramatically increasing the number of radios available for clients. In the third column, I examined some non-metro Wi-Fi antenna and radio technologies more applicable to the consumer space, with some possible enterprise applications. In this fourth and final column, I'll touch on what some radio and receiver vendors that target the metro Wi-Fi space are doing to decrease deployment costs, enhance coverage and increase throughput and link stability.
The Wireless Edge: Sprint Nextel, WiMAX and the Mobile Broadband Conundrum Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 11:05 AM
Sprint Nextel announced on August 8 its choice of WiMAX technology for its mobile broadband network that will operate in its 2.5 GHz Broadband Radio Service (BRS) spectrum. Every other wireless pundit is going to have something to say about this, and I have so much to say that the constraints of this column will be a challenge. First, I'm going to make some general comments about the company's technology choice and early claims. Then I'm going to zoom in on the crux of the challenge that Sprint Nextel will have to address: managing capacity and performance expectations while finding a way of charging for service that enables a successful business model. This will be a conundrum, which according to one definition I just read means "a paradoxical, insoluble or difficult problem."
Air Time: Enterprise 802.11n: How Fast? Posted By
Dave Molta
at 01:56 PM
If you have any doubts about the likely market success of 802.11n, check out the early numbers. In its first four months of availability, Broadcom has shipped over 1 million of its Intesi-fi chipsets. That's a million chipsets based on an 11n draft standard that is likely to see considerable change before it is passed. That's 1 million chipsets in a highly competitive market where Atheros, Marvel and Airgo are also enjoying considerable success. Business is good.
The Wireless Edge: Wide-Area Wireless--The Next Five Years Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 01:53 PM
Recently, I concluded the research phase of a large project to assess the future direction of all the major wide-area wireless technologies, including 3G and WiMAX. There is so much going on that it has left my head spinning. But at the same time I'm quite excited, because the future of mobile data just keeps getting brighter. As an IT manager, you won't be able to immediately take advantage of many of these enhanced technologies, but it may be helpful to know what will be available in what timeframe. It's also interesting to see how the 3G vs. WiMAX battle is shaping up.
Protects Your Brain...But Not Your Milk Money Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 04:50 PM
Cell phone radiation: Maybe it's bad for us...maybe it's not so bad. But until we know for sure, the nice folks at Handy-fashions.com don't want you taking any chances.
Air Time: Location, Location, Location Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 03:44 PM
Ask a real-estate agent for the three factors that most significantly influence the price of a property, and you're likely to get a somewhat tongue-in-cheek response: location, location, location. In the world of wireless networking, location-based services are emerging as one of the battlegrounds as wireless equipment manufacturers and service providers wrestle to differentiate their products and services.
The Wireless Edge: Integrated Voice/Data in 3G Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 03:52 PM
One of the promises of 3G cellular has been integrated voice and data.In this column I examine what this means, why and where it's important,to what extent the different cellular technologies support it, and howthis capability will evolve over time. I'm bringing it up now because Cingularis currently rolling out an enhanced version of Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) that includes High Speed Downlink Packet Access(HSDPA), which supports integrated voice and data. Meanwhile, Sprint and Verizonhave recently made announcements about an upgrade to CDMA 2000 Evolved DataOptimized (EV-DO), called Revision A, that provides a key building block forintegrated voice and data, a capability currently not available for EV-DO.
A Cell phone in Your Mouth -- No Tooth to That! Posted By
Tom LaSusa
at 11:05 AM
Do you remember 2002? The Angels beat the Giants in the World Series. Mozilla 1.0 debuted. Star Wars fans saw Clones Attack. And two British engineers were close to debuting a cell phone embedded within a tooth. The hype became so feverish that the product-to-be landed on Time Magazine's 2002 Best Inventions list.
Wireless Mesh Reality Check: Home CPE Required Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 03:23 PM
A blog entry by Michael Sciannamea in The Wireless Report caught my eye late last week. The post summarized an article concerning coverage in Tempe, Arizona's muni-wireless mesh network, and ended by saying "Hopefully, these bugs will be worked out quickly..." If providing adequate coverage were only a bug! A comment on that post by fellow colleague Glenn Fleishman pointed to an article that was the likely original news source. In that article, NeoReach, the wireless network operator, admitted that it had not fully informed registering customers that the wireless service generally required an indoor bridge for the best possible experience.
Air Time: Enterprise Wi-Fi: Obstacles And Opportunities Posted By
Dave Molta
at 05:30 PM
We recently surveyed our readers to get an update on their attitudes concerning enterprise WLAN adoption. We received responses from 276 individuals, getting a pretty good mix from midsized-to-large organizations. Our surveys don't typically make their way into the hands of individuals working in small organizations, so in that sense they aren't really representative of the broad business market. But the responses do provide some interesting insights into the views of readers in larger organizations.
Mobile Middleware in the Broadband Era Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 11:23 AM
With mobile broadband networks like EV-DO and HSDPA becoming more widely available, many IT managers are asking about the role of mobile (or wireless) middleware. Is it still needed with the higher speeds? The answer is yes, but the reasons have changed.
Wireless Propagator: Seeing the Unseen Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 11:13 AM
Nothing frustrates the logical minds of network engineers and their
kindred than dealing with the vagaries of wireless. A dark art it is,
as they tussle with the intangibles of multipath, interference and
fluctuating performance.
Air Time: 3G and Smartphones: Skeptical Optimism Posted By
Dave Molta
at 10:54 PM
Held in Barcelona, Spain, this week, the 3GSM World Congress is billed by its
producers as the world's premiere mobile event. Last year, around 34,000 people
attended the show, taking in the offerings of 685 exhibitors. This year's event has
attracted nearly 1,000 exhibitors and over 50,000 attendees are expected. Has 3G
finally arrived?
Wireless Propagator: In-Building Wireless Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 03:40 PM
Attach the word "wireless" to any topic and you're likely to pique the interest
of your colleagues, technical or otherwise. But mention "in-building wireless,"
and you'll just as quickly lose their attention as your own mind drifts to
images of hot and itchy insulation-lined ceilings and narrow elevator shafts.
Air Time: Will 802.11n Change Your World? Posted By
Dave Molta
at 12:07 PM
Last Thursday, the IEEE announced that the 802.11n Task Group (TGn) had
approved a draft of what may be the most significant new standard to come
out of IEEE in the past 10 years. Based largely on a specification developed
by the Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC), an association of leading network
silicon developers, the proposal, which required a 75 percent vote for passage,
garnered 184 votes affirmative and 0 votes opposed, with 4 abstentions.
Talk Is Cheap… or at least VoIP is cheap Posted By
drenfroe
at 03:50 PM
I’m still cooling my heels at the inaugural East Coast Interop show. It’s not surprising to see folks walking around with Bluetooth headsets clamped to their ears and cell phones in their pockets. Nor is it surprising to see many exhibitors hawking products targeted at these work anywhere & everywhere types. There are a few products that really stick out, though, so I thought I’d share them.
I actually saw two products from Avaya that piqued my interest. The company announced this week an implementation of their VPNremote software for their 4600 series IP phones. This IPSec VPN client allows enterprises to send their VoIP handsets home (or anywhere) and ensure encrypted communication. Currently it only supports connections to Avaya’s Security Gateways, but that is likely to change. The other interesting product that I saw wasn’t news, but it sure was neat. Avaya Mobile for Series 60 is an application designed to run on Nokia handsets running the Symbian Series 60 OS, extending Avaya’s IP telephony capabilities to a mobile phone. It also includes the ability to do hand-offs between a desk phone and a mobile phone, and access the corporate contacts directory from the mobile phone. And it was showcased on the Nokia 6682, the latest object of my gadget lust!
The other product I saw is primarily focused at the consumer, not the enterprise, but I felt it was definitely worth a mention. IPDrum, a Norwegian firm, has a product called Mobile Skype Cable that allows users with spare Nokia or Sony Ericsson phones to make and receive Skype calls on their extra handset. With the proliferation of family calling and unlimited in-network calling plans, you could easily grab a spare SIM card and stay in touch with your Skype buddies even when you’re not on the computer. A simple cable connects the spare handset to your Windows computer and one software install later you’re in business.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proclaimed this week “Interop Week,” in honor of the first East Coast Interop show. Despite said proclamation, there haven’t been any spontaneous ticker tape parades. That isn’t deterring participants from turning out and seeing the latest and greatest in IT. I thought I would take a few minutes to share some of the things I’ve seen and heard.
Cognio has announced they’re updating their ISMS Mobile Wi-Fi spectrum analysis product to version 2.0 and throwing in a name change to Spectrum Expert for WiFi. We recently reviewed their 1.0 offering, but this new version has a number of good enhancements, including the ability to capture spectrum traces for future playback/analysis and it also has expanded the types of devices monitored and the level of detail provided.
I had an opportunity to sit down with Bill Gibson, the new CEO of Network General, makers of the ever-popular Sniffer line of products. He shared a bit about the company’s future approach to products; they definitely have their eye on further developing their enterprise solutions to extend the kinds of information you can already get out of the their point solution, Sniffer Portable. I think we’ll see some interesting things coming from the company in the next several months.
There’s lots to do and lots to see, but I’ll be sharing more news over the next couple of days.
Since our story last week about Cisco/Linksys changing the WRT54G Wireless-G
Broadband Router from a Linux-based system to a WxWorks-based system,
Linksys contacted us to say it will maintain the Linux-based system under a new
model number of WRT54GL. The company's statement was, "We are honored
by the overwhelming loyalty of Linux users to our products, and this dedicated
SKU is our way of saying thank you for the support this community has given
to us and our products."
We are pleased that the Linux-based version (current equivalent to WRT54G v4)
will remain available for those who desire it. However, we're still not happy
about the apparent quality and performance issues of the currently shipping
WRT54G. Also, it's a little unusual to create a new SKU for an existing product
and to use the old SKU for, effectively, a new version of the product. However,
it does mean that Linksys/Cisco can direct its huge volumes of this product's
sales, estimated at hundreds of thousands per month, to the version that
costs the company less to manufacture. Hopefully, Linksys/Cisco can quickly
address the problems with this version so that these hundreds of thousands of
users don't have the unfortunate experience I had.
Air Time: Running on Empty Posted By
Dave Molta
at 11:10 AM
The appeal of Wi-Fi is simple: no more Ethernet cables. Freedom from the
shackles of copper wire is not just convenient, it's downright liberating. But
walk into an enterprise conference room, and what do you see? The Cat5
Ethernet cables may be gone, but step carefully, lest you catch your shoes on
someone's power cable snaking its way across the floor. So much for
liberation.
I recently moved into a newly renovated building on the campus of Syracuse
University. Given my interest in wireless networking, I lobbied hard for a
high-capacity, dual-band WLAN infrastructure. Coupled with a generous helping
of conference rooms, both large and small, the wireless infrastructure is a
critical element in our effort to encourage collaboration. Although the
environment has been well received by students, faculty and staff, everyone has
one major complaint: not enough power outlets. Despite marketing claims of
leading notebook computer manufacturers, most of our wireless-intensive users
can't make it through a typical meeting without plugging their power brick into
the wall.
The Wireless Edge: Linksys WRT54G--Not What It Used to Be Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 01:22 PM
The Cisco Linksys WRT54G is one of the most popular SOHO 802.11 b/g
wireless routers available. However, because of a recent redesign, this product
is nowhere near as reliable as it used to be. Worse yet, it's difficult to tell
whether the version you are getting is the old version or the new version.
I stumbled across this a couple of weeks ago when I decided to update my
home small-office router, a Linksys BESFR41 v1. Though functional, I had to
reset the product once or twice a week, and having had good success with a
WRT54G (router, four-port Ethernet switch, 802.11b/g access point) at
another location, I decided to get one for my office. As part of my due
diligence, I contacted my local ISP, which has well-informed technical support,
and asked them about the WRT54G. They assured me it was "rock solid." That
was good enough for me.
Wireless Propagator: RIM Gets Dinged Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 04:54 PM
Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in Motion (RIM) has been meticulously covered--
perhaps plastered--by the press in the last few weeks. And the news has not been
all accolades. Like most new companies that have grown out of startup mode and
made it big, this wireless mobile e-mail leader has been targeted by those
companies looking to share a little bit of the upstart's success.
The biggest hoopla has surrounded the three-plus year legal battle with NTP Inc.
over patented wireless radio-frequency technologies that NTP claims are in RIM's
systems. Wrangling started in November 2001 and a jury in 2002 ruled in favor of
NTP, awarding that company damages. RIM appealed the verdict and submitted the
patents to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for re-examination, but
in March 2005 it reached a $450 million settlement action. Less than three months
later that deal fell apart after RIM and NTP were unable to finalize settlement
details based on March's abridged agreement. The movement between upper and
lower courts, filings and appeals has been dizzying, but newly appointed U.S.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts last week denied RIM's motion to review
the currently suspended injunction. NTP had previously requested that injunction to
prevent RIM from providing BlackBerry wireless services to its largest customer
base, found just south of the Canadian border in the United States.
Wireless Propagator: A Significant IEEE Standards 'Variation' Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 02:50 PM
In what can be mildly termed a significant 'variation' in the IEEE standards process,
27 companies including chipset vendors Atheros, Broadcom, Intel and Marvell
announced Monday the official formation of the Enhanced Wireless Consortium
(EWC) in an effort to speed up the IEEE 802.11n standards process. This
announcement comes only three months after these firms publicly committed to
developing a joint proposal to the IEEE task group.
The IEEE 802.11n task group has been mandated to create a wireless standard with
a throughput of at least 100 Mbps, which is at least three to four times the speed
of the current standards-based 802.11a and g. The foundation of the standard is
MIMO (multiple in, multiple out), technology created and developed by Airgo
Networks. Although the market leader in MIMO-based technologies--the company is
already in its third generation of hardware--Atheros and Ruckus Wireless (formerly
Video54), which have developed similar technologies, have challenged Airgo's
success.
WiMAX in the Enterprise: Yawn Posted By
Dave Molta
at 05:13 PM
You can't really blame the proponents of WiMAX, including the WiMAX Forum, for the
relentless hype that has surrounded this emerging wireless technology. Marketing
professionals are hired to create buzz, to search for a sweet spot where
consumers of information technology feel hungry yet unfulfilled. It's not their fault
that some journalist with limited technical knowledge labeled it "Wi-Fi on Steroids."
Still, there's mounting pressure on the WiMAX industry to deliver on some of the
promise, and it won't be easy.
Last week, I moderated a panel presentation on the evolution of WiMAX at the Next
Generation Networks (NGN) conference in Washington, DC. The session was well
attended and included presenters from Alcatel, Alvarion, Cisco and Towerstream.
For the most part, the presentations were informative and largely grounded in
reality. Even Mohammad Shakouri of Alvarion, who was speaking as chair of the
WiMAX Forum marketing working group, avoided the temptation to fuel the flames
of enthusiasm, choosing instead to provide a rational view of the likely evolution of
WiMAX in the coming years. In private conversations, he expressed concern that
market expectations for WiMAX need to be better managed.
Embedded Wireless WAN Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 03:16 PM
One important enabler for the WLAN industry has been the embedded WLAN capability for notebook computers, which is now included in most of the units sold. Intel's Centrino effort has both provided marketing dollars and made it easy for notebook computer vendors to include WLAN capability. Can the same success be replicated with wireless wide-area networks, whether they are based on EDGE, EV-DO, UMTS/HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) or, eventually, WiMAX? Will such developments also accelerate the adoption of wireless data? And what are the issues involved in making embedded wireless WAN a reality? These questions were addressed in a September 13, 2005, symposium by the Portable Computer and Communications Association, an organization that works on wireless data interoperability issues and of which I act as chair.
There are a number of reasons for wanting wireless WAN embedded. One is ease of use, since the card comes preconfigured for use and doesn't require an installation procedure. Another is improved performance. If the notebook computer is properly designed for the wireless WAN card, it will include internal antennas high in the lid of the notebook computer. It may even include multiple antennas to accommodate forthcoming performance-increasing techniques such as mobile receive diversity and MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output). The notebook computer will also provide the proper thermal, electrical and electromagnetic environments to ensure optimum operation of the radio circuits.
The Wireless Propagator: External Standards to Address Internal VoWLAN Complexity Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 04:28 PM
Talking on a mobile handset. For a concept that seems so familiar and
commonplace, the underlying infrastructure--and associated complexity--
required to support VoWLANs (voice over wireless LANs) has been somewhat
intimidating. Helping to tackle all the related issues and bring some clarity to
the marketplace are standards bodies such as the Wi-Fi Alliance and the IEEE
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). This week, we'll look at
what the Wi-Fi Alliance is doing.
Formerly WECA, the Wi-Fi Alliance was formed in 1999 to provide a basic
interoperability testing ground for the new IEEE 802.11 equipment flooding the
market. Initial standards focused on 802.11b, then on 802.11g and 802.11a,
with testing along the way for WEP (wired equivalent privacy) support. In 2002,
the alliance developed WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) as an interim but
compatible solution for the still developing IEEE 802.11i security standard. Since
that time, the Wi-Fi Alliance has become more expansive in its scope.
Air Time: Airgo's True MIMO Gen3: Breaking New Ground in Wireless Performance Posted By
Dave Molta
at 03:12 PM
As is the case with most information technologies, performance thresholds
have played an important role in driving the wireless network market. It wasn't
that long ago that breaking the one-megabit performance barrier was viewed
as a significant technical event. And when 802.11b surpassed the 10-megabit
data rate provided by Ethernet, wireless LANs gained significant market
credibility (even though actual throughput was much lower than Ethernet).
The latest barrier to be broken by the wireless engineering team at Airgo
Networks is 100-megabit Fast Ethernet, the industry standard network
technology connecting most desktop computers to home and enterprise
networks.
Yes, we've seen a number of vendors offer wireless networking that
purportedly runs at speeds in excess of 100 megabits. But the throughput of
these systems is less than half that number, making it significantly slower than
Fast Ethernet in real-world environments. Plus, the added performance
sometimes comes at the expense of compatibility with standards-based
802.11. Still, pushing the performance window is good business, and it has been
proven to move boxes through the retail channel.
Don't confuse previous high-performance wireless technology with that offered
by Airgo. The upstart wireless chip developer is breaking new ground with
radio-based networking that defies conventional wireless wisdom and sets the
stage for future improvements in performance of all wireless systems, from the
home to the enterprise to the metropolis. Airgo's latest True MIMO Gen3
product offering, sampling in volume today and expected to find its way into
shipping products by year-end, touts a maximum data rate of 240 megabits
per second and sustainable TCP throughput in excess of 120 Mbps. That's
twice as fast as the company's second-generation chip and faster, using real-
world applications, than Fast Ethernet. If that's not enough, how does 15%
cheaper and 20% more power efficient. It's the hottest wireless technology
currently available and it foretells a very interesting future.
Redefining the Endpoint--Wireless Broadband Routers Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 02:01 PM
Things used to be simple with wide-area wireless networks. The network endpoints were mobile telephones or modems. The modems were inside PDAs or laptops. The endpoints were basically you and me--people. But that's changing, with companies like Netgear, which last week announced a wireless broadband router for Flash OFDM. Netgear's router has a wide-area connection using Flarion's (now owned by Qualcomm) Flash OFDM technology and local connections using Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Okay, so there are no Flash OFDM networks in the United States. But Cingular and Sprint have offers in this area, and Verizon is not far behind. The endpoint is no longer a person; it's a network. And just as we were going to press, we saw D-Link's August 30 announcement of its Wireless 3G Mobile Router.
The general idea is to terminate the wireless WAN connection at a device that routes to a network. I got a nice taste of this recently at an industry association meeting where an enterprising network engineer had a UMTS card in his laptop and distributed his Internet connection over Wi-Fi to willing recipients in the meeting. About a dozen of us enjoyed this ad hoc service, and it worked just fine. In this case, Microsoft Windows in the laptop was doing the routing, with each of us using a separate IP address provisioned from the laptop.
Wireless Propagator: VeriSign Verifies Dual-mode Voice Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 04:50 PM
More commonly known to enterprises for its digital certificate services, VeriSign
recently announced trials of the company's Wireless IP Connect Service. VeriSign
noted the involvement of three major universities at which users will have a
single mobile device that roams between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The
company is also a member of mobileIGNITE, a network convergence industry
body led by BridgePort Networks.
In an interview with Tom Kershaw, VeriSign Communication Services' vice
president of Next Generation Services, he says VeriSign is "all about connecting
different VoIP islands." Currently, there is no VoIP peering point that
interconnects Vonage with SIPphone, Packet8, FreeWorldDialup, etc. Emblematic
of FMC (fixed-mobile convergence), VeriSign plans to bridge VoIP, cellular and
traditional voice. Touting its existing roaming and settlement agreements with
carriers as well as its current SS7 (Signaling System 7) connections to all
major carriers, VeriSign will operate a gateway that connects external VoIP
media and signaling flows to the appropriate mobile or fixed voice carrier.
Kershaw casts some necessary doubt on the PBX-centric model demonstrated
in the Motorola/Avaya/Proxim solution. This trio, which initiated the SCCAN
forum, splits the functionality among handset, PBX and WLAN gateway,
respectively. What's unique is that the PBX needs to have an SS7 link to the
wireless carrier so that location registration and call control can be handled.
Not many PBXes have such interfaces, and carriers are uncomfortable in
opening up their SS7 networks to enterprises and university campuses alike.
The Wireless Edge: High Speed Downlink Packet Access Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 03:15 PM
First, an important correction: In my last column on wireless data
uptake, I reported 500,000 EV-DO customers for Verizon--the number
that has circulated in various stories. Mobile Pipeline Editor Dave
Haskin questioned this number and obtained a clarification from
Verizon that the number refers to data subscribers for both 1xRTT
service and EV-DO. Most likely then, the majority of the customers are
using the earlier 1xRTT service. Now, on to HSDPA (High Speed Downlink
Packet Access).
Vodafone, one of the world's largest cellular operators, and Nokia
just completed testing of HSDPA, a new version of WCDMA (Wideband
CDMA), in Italy using Nokia infrastructure. The two companies reported
throughput rates of 1.5 Mbps. Various other companies have
demonstrated throughput speeds of over 1 Mbps for this technology, and
peak speed claims of over 14 Mbps are also common. But what speeds can
you realistically expect and what services will be available when?
Also, how does this technology line up with the competition, including
EV-DO, Flash OFDM and WiMAX?
First, let's look at what the technology is. HSDPA is an enhancement
to WCDMA, a technology that is also referred to as UMTS (Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System), the 3G path chosen by most GSM
operators around the world. Today, there are already some 75 UMTS
networks in operation around the world. In the United States, Cingular
(via its purchase of AT&T Wireless) has UMTS available in six cities.
However, the company is planning an aggressive deployment of HSDPA,
with 15 to 20 cities planned by the end of 2005 and most major
metropolitan areas by the end of 2006. The six cities with current
UMTS service will be upgraded to HSDPA as well. Globally, many UMTS
operators are planning on the HSDPA upgrade, and operators that have
not deployed UMTS yet are likely to go directly to HSDPA.
HSDPA is important for operators because current UMTS technology,
which based on 3GPP WCDMA Release 99 specifications, is extremely
efficient for voice service, but it is not optimized for data
services. The HSDPA upgrade, based on 3GPP Release 5 specifications,
keeps the same voice mechanisms but adds highly efficient data
capability. It does this through radio mechanisms such as higher order
modulation (16QAM in addition to QPSK), improved error correction,
dynamic adaptation of modulation and coding based on radio conditions,
and a tighter link between mobile and base station. It also adds a
packet scheduling approach that favors downlink transmissions to users
with the best radio conditions, thus allowing them to receive data at
higher throughput rates. Since conditions vary by users over time,
this results in what is called user diversity. All these approaches
working in combination result in at least a doubling of spectral
efficiency, and with later improvements on the roadmap, a further
doubling. Bottom line: The network can support many more users at
a higher speed.
HSDPA is not the first technology to invent these approaches. You see
them in most new wireless technologies, including CDMA2000 EV-DO and
WiMAX, as well as in Wi-Fi. As for speeds, that's where things get a
bit tricky. The network does indeed support a peak rate of 14 Mbps,
but this is what you would get with the full capacity of the cell
sector at the highest modulation level and no error correction. In
other words, you'll never actually experience this speed, as you'll
never experience the peak rate of 2.4 Mbps quoted for EV-DO. Initial
devices are likely to have peak rates of 1.8 Mbps or 3.6 Mbps,
depending on their designs. Subsequent devices will be faster. As for
typical speeds you can expect, it will depend on the number of users
active in the network, but average speeds in the 500 kbps to 1 Mbps
range should be achievable in relatively lightly loaded networks.
However, speeds may go down a bit if people flock to the technology,
as is the case for all the 3G technologies. Of course, with the
somewhat slow adoption of cellular data as discussed in my last
column, this is a problem that operators would love to have, and one
they can manage through additional cell sites and new spectrum
allocations. HSDPA latency goals are also aggressive, and in initial
networks, latency will likely be in the 100 to 200 msec range.
As for how this lines up with EV-DO that Sprint and Verizon are
deploying, HSDPA will likely meet or exceed EV-DO performance. HSDPA
also allows simultaneous voice and data on the same device. However,
EV-DO operators will have broader coverage in the near term. Mobile
WiMAX specifications point to somewhat higher performance, but there
are a series of further enhancements planned for HSDPA.
In my view, HSDPA is a great thing for the wireless industry for a
number of reasons. First, it will offer a highly compelling broadband
wireless service over very large coverage areas. Second, it will
compete head to head with EV-DO, resulting hopefully in competitively
priced service plans. Third, it will keep the WiMAX people on their
toes, forcing them to deliver the best possible technology; otherwise,
it won't be competitive. The reciprocal case is also present, as WiMAX
has accelerated 3GPP (the organization that specifies GSM-UMTS
technology) efforts to start designing what comes after HSDPA,
currently called 3GPP Long Term Evolution.
From a usage point of view, even by the end of 2006, HSDPA won't be
everywhere. Coverage is likely to emphasize urban areas, and in less
densely populated areas, the fallback will be to EDGE for quite some
time. This means there's no reason to wait for HSDPA, as you should
probably plan for most applications you deploy to work over both HSDPA
and EDGE. The same is true for EV-DO, where the fallback is to 1xRTT.
As HSDPA gets closer, you're likely to see lots of hype about the
technology. But if you keep in mind its true capabilities, there's no
reason to not start incorporating HSDPA into your wireless planning.
August 10, 2005
Wireless Propagator: Sensor/Access Point Integration Posted By
Frank Bulk
at 02:50 PM
AirMagnet's recent self-serving press release, which essentially highlighted its relatively new Spectrum Analyzer, noted that the abundance of non-Wi-Fi-generated interference at the annual DefCon Convention (for hackers of all kinds) actually caused more disruption than the more conventional wireless attacks. The sad reality is that high-tech conventions and conferences are swamped with unintentional interference in the 2.4-GHz band from hastily deployed building- and booth-specific APs (access points), Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, Bluetooth devices and the microwaves that heat the overpriced food. Tenants stacked in multistory buildings in Manhattan can attest to similar issues on a smaller scale. And no wireless IDS system can protect against the most potent of all DoS (denial of service) attacks: RF jamming equipment.
Enterprises are usually able to design their wireless networks around potentially interfering equipment, and policies are set up to accommodate certain RF usage patterns. But traditional threats, including MAC spoofing, fake and rogue APs, and DoS attacks, are both more subversive and more targeted than the blatant assaults that completely knock out service. Wireless IDS or distributed wireless security monitoring vendors such as AirDefense, AirMagnet and Network Chemistry have been offering wireless IDS solutions for several years--but all as overlay solutions.
The debate between using an overlay wireless IDS solution and stuffing that functionality into the enterprise's WLAN infrastructure is ongoing. Overlay wireless IDS systems offer advanced, point-specific highly developed systems, but they trouble bean counters with their purchase, deployment and continued management costs. For that reason, many overlay wireless IDS systems find their way into the government and financial sectors, which explicitly calculate the risks vs. the costs. In the horizontal markets, some security teams within larger companies prefer a separate, out-of-band non-integrated system--a layered defense that doesn't require coordination with the networking group.
On the other hand, enterprise WLAN systems with IDS features--such as those from Aruba and, formerly, Airespace (now Cisco)--are available as either part of the base system or for a small incremental licensing fee. Such integration offers the advantage of using your existing and carefully deployed APs via your familiar management interface. There's no ceiling to open up again, no additional server to squeeze into your data center. And the IDS features and reporting will work fluidly with the other features of the product. What's more, scanning the airwaves while serving clients usually has a minimal effect on your data users (though our experience with VoWLAN testing has proved a bit more troublesome).
No matter how the relevant vendors may portray the issue, reader polls from both our recent and earlier wireless IDS reviews clearly demonstrate that users want one system to solve all their wireless needs. During discussions with overlay vendors, one continually reiterated point was that the marketplace for customers who are willing to pay for and manage a separate overlay solution will remain small, just a few single-digit percentage points of all deployed WLAN infrastructure systems. According to Dell'Oro Group, this year's worldwide revenues will be $1.1 billion. A quick calculation shows that overlay solutions will likely be less than $50 million this year, a figure that falls in line with customer counts and average sales numbers shared with me by AirDefense, one of the market leaders. To break this possibly revenue-limiting cap, all three main vendors have announced partnerships or technical integration to insert their intellectual property into existing WLAN infrastructure systems.
The first to break into the game was AirDefense, with its announcement last year of a partnership with Cisco. AirDefense's solution began by extracting data from Cisco's WLSE (Wireless LAN Solution Engine), feeding it into its own enterprise product, and then circulating some of the data back to WLSE. More relevant to this discussion, though, is the fact that Cisco APs can now serve a secondary purpose as a sensor that provides monitoring information back to AirDefense's enterprise product while still servicing wireless clients. According to AirDefense marketing personnel, joint customers of Cisco and AirDefense were demanding this functionality to eliminate an overlay wireless IDS network. Since Cisco's software APIs have been made available on a non-exclusive basis, both AirTight Networks and AirMagnet have performed similar integration with Cisco's WLSE, although only AirMagnet has incorporated its software into Cisco's APs.
AirMagnet also recently reached agreements with Colubris Networks and relative newcomer Xirrus to roll its technology into these companies' access points. Both enterprise WLAN vendors had minimal wireless IDS functionality in their products at the time, so it made sense to partner with a leading player rather than reinvent the wheel.
The most recent announcement is from Network Chemistry, which revealed its "Open Agent Initiative." The company has OEMed its specialized hardware sensor to the likes of Newbury Networks and WildPackets for some time, but this initiative will provide a royalty-free sensor software agent on Cisco and Symbol platforms, expanding to others in the near future. Despite the amalgamation of its software into the access point, the backend still requires the purchase of Newbury's wireless IDS solution with the accompanying separate management interface. So cabling work has almost been eliminated, but space is still needed in the data center.
In many ways, integration of wireless IDS sensors into enterprise APs was inevitable. It serves the customer by eliminating a duplicate overlay network and provides an opportunity for the wireless IDS vendors to expand their market share. Separate overlay solutions may still be appropriate in certain circumstances, but it's clear, moving forward, that the vast majority of WLAN deployments will be able to take advantage of the highly developed features available from wireless IDS vendors without removing a ceiling tile or pulling one more cable.
August 02, 2005
The Wireless Edge: The Uneven Uptake of Wireless Data Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 01:01 PM
Why is Wi-Fi surging ahead and why is cellular data still struggling, even against the backdrop of global 3G network deployments? The simple answer is that Wi-Fi is fast, cheap and easy while cellular data remains slow, expensive and complicated. That's beginning to change, but slowly. First some evidence to support the claim. A new study from Research and Markets projects that WLAN equipment and services will grow at an annual rate of 30 percent, to a global figure of $5 billion for the year by the end of 2006. In other words, Wi-Fi is continuing to grow at a healthy clip. Meanwhile, IDC in May reported that wireless data constituted only 5.8 percent of wireless revenues in the United
States during the fourth quarter of 2004. This 5.8 percent actually adds up to $1.6 billion in revenues for the quarter, which is nothing to sneeze at, but it represents limited usage, especially when you consider that some half of this figure is revenue from text messaging. IDC expects this figure to grow to 20 percent by 2009. Let's try and understand the dynamics of this slow growth.
Like any successful technology, wireless technology must provide value without exacting too high a cost. That is why Wi-Fi is so successful and popular. It allows me to write this column in the comfort of my living room while providing all the broadband speed I need at a cost that is laughably low. And that is why cellular voice service has grown to 1.8 billion subscribers around the world.
It offers the convenience of telephony from anywhere, at any time, at a cost that consists of the monthly fee--affordable for most people--and, with degraded voice quality relative to wireline, but at a quality level that most people accept.
Now compare this with cellular data. Let's start with the laptop scenario. There is definite value in having connectivity from anywhere, and I personally can't imagine giving up the convenience of my nationwide wireless data service. But today, the costs are still high. First there is the obvious monthly charge of $80 for EDGE or EV-DO for unlimited usage. This eliminates quite a few
potential users right off the bat. But there are plenty of other costs. Let me list some. With non-3G technologies, the networks are still too slow for many applications. Chances are that your laptop is also configured for automatic Windows and virus updates, meaning your system may be downloading megabytes of information and you won't even realize it. This slows down the performance of other applications and drives up bills on usage-based plans. That's not the network's fault, but it's still a usage cost. Yes, there are workarounds, such as making sure laptops are configured exactly right for
wireless networking, using wireless middleware, mobile-optimized versions of applications and so forth. But dealing with all these represents a large integration cost compared to just "using" your existing networking applications. Meanwhile, configuring a phone to work as a modem via Bluetooth can be
devilishly complicated. The alternative is a separate account and a data card.
Continuing on, Microsoft Windows XP has integrated support for Wi-Fi that provides a consistent user experience regardless of Wi-Fi hardware vendor. However, there is no comparable support for cellular data. And in the next version of Windows, Windows Vista, you can look forward to further improved Wi-Fi support and still no native support for cellular data. This doesn't mean you can't use cellular data with Windows, it just means it isn't as easy as it should be, for both end users and IT managers, and it requires additional utilities you have to run to configure and manage your connections.
In the smartphone scenario, including wireless PDAs, devices have impressive computing capability. But the number of business applications targeted for these devices is still very small, with wireless e-mail and calendar management seeing the greatest usage. Making other enterprise information available often involves custom development. More cost. And if you have a smartphone, chances are that the operator has neutered it so you can't use it as a modem for your laptop anyway. Why? Because of potential abuse by some users with lower priced smartphone plans consuming too much data using their laptops. This is the single biggest reason I don't use a smartphone, much as I would like to. Today's smartphones also often involve separate management and security architectures from their laptop cousins--another cost.
So is there any hope? I believe so. To begin with, new data technologies such as EV-DO and HSDPA are beginning to overcome the performance barrier. This means that many existing applications work at an acceptable level--though, ironically, only if the networks don't become too popular, as network data
capacity is still relatively limited. Despite the high monthly cost, Reuters reports that Verizon now has 500,000 subscribers for EV-DO. Tiny compared to its 40 or so million voice subscribers, as of June, but not bad for how new the service is. Pricing is also improving, albeit slowly. For instance, Sprint's just released EV-DO pricing is $80 unlimited, but it also offers a $40 plan for 40 megabytes that is capped at $90 if users exceed their quota, a creative pricing compromise. I was briefed last week on Sprint's new program, called Sprint Mobile Business Assessments, where Sprint works closely with a company to help it develop comprehensive mobility solutions. This is typical of how all the operators are providing assistance to enterprises to help overcome integration challenges.
Smartphone-oriented applications such as wireless e-mail are also getting good traction. They provide an effective e-mail experience at a reasonable monthly fee and are easy to install, configure and manage. Other enterprise applications for smartphones are starting to see the light of day. So piece by
small piece, the cellular data picture is getting brighter. But for somebody such as myself, who has been involved in wide-area wireless data projects for 14 years now, it's sure happening slowly.
The Smartphone versus the Feature Phone Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 04:14 PM
It’s clear that our mobile phones are powerful computers with tremendous capability. The question is how to apply all of this capability to satisfy users. Do people want general-purpose mobile computing platforms onto which they can download all kinds of applications? If so, they want a smartphone, with Symbian, PalmSource and Microsoft being the leading OS providers. New research data from Canalys (http://www.canalys.com/) released today shows Nokia, using the Symbian OS, the device leader in this category with 50% of the smart mobile device market. Total 2005 Q1 shipments were close to 11 million devices, a small percentage of total mobile phone sales, but still a very large, rapidly growing market. However, the real action right now is in phones that use their computing power for specific functions of interest to consumers, such as taking pictures. Some people call these feature phones. Here the numbers are much higher. Strategy Analytics (http://www.strategyanalytics.net/Default.aspx) earlier this month reported a huge 257 million camera phones sold in 2004, compared to 68 million digital cameras. The next big thing for phones in my view: integrated music players that will come close to matching the capabilities of an iPod.
Further City-Wide Wi-Fi Developments Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 02:30 PM
Minneapolis just announced a plan for a city wide, privately-owned Wi-Fi network which will cost $15 to $20 million to build, and will offer data services at speeds between 1 Mbps and 3 Mbps. Service could be up in the 2006 timeframe, and will be available to consumers at about $20 per month. Neighboring Chaska, Minn., a city of 22,000, launched similar service last year. Similar efforts are underway in Philadelphia and San Francisco. By turning ownership over to private entities, these cities hope to avoid conflicts with telecom operators who might complain of unfair competition. One might ask whether these networks are necessary with 3G deployments. My answer is that these public services will be highly complementary because 3G cannot handle large densities of broadband users like Wi-Fi, but are more adept at coverage everywhere to lower user densities. Even if the resulting initial coverage is likely to be unpredictable, I’m enthusiastic about these city-wide deployments as I expect the service to be useful to large numbers of users.
There is no question that Voice over IP is gaining serious momentum. In a new study, IDC is predicting that VoIP service in US homes is to grow from 3 million homes in 2005 to 27 million by the end of 2009. What about VoIP over wireless? This is quite a tricky proposition, as VoIP requires quality of service mechanisms, largely absent from current wireless technologies, whether local or wide area. However, these are being added to Wi-Fi in IEEE 802.11e, and are also on the roadmap for 3G services, including UMTS/HSDPA and EV-DO. In fact, Verizon indicated this week that it could start offering VoIP over their EV-DO network in the 2008 to 2009 timeframe. The fact this is three to four years away points to the complexities involved. Nevertheless, widespread wireless VoIP is inevitable in my view, it just may lag wireline deployments by a year or two.
CDMA vs. OFDM for Cellular Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 01:37 PM
Speaking of CDMA vs. OFDM (see last blog entry), there is a major debate in the industry as to whether OFDM has inherent advantages over CDMA in cellular networks. IEEE 802.16 (as supported by the WiMAX Forum) has chosen Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing as the basis of its radio technology. OFDM is also used in IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11n, as well as in Flarion’s Flash OFDM system. As reported in an in-depth study of how cellular technologies will evolve beyond current 3G systems that I recently completed for Datacomm Research, one advantage is that with wider radio channels, OFDM effectively combats a radio effect called intersymbol interference. ISI is a consequence of the “slowness” of the speed of light, where reflected signals interfere with successive symbols (modulated waveforms). However, for current 3G systems with radio channels up to 5 MHz, it’s not clear that OFDM provides that much of an advantage. But with next generation systems that will deliver throughput rates in the 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps range, the advantages could start becoming significant, especially when combined with multiple input multiple output (MIMO). 3GPP has a work group studying how current cellular technologies might best evolve, including looking at OFDM. OFDM, however is not the only option. Another option is multi-carrier CDMA where multiple CDMA channels are combined for higher throughputs. While the cellular community is studying this, the mobile WiMAX community is racing forward as quickly it can to try and complete their technology. Needless to say, there is a huge amount at stake and its very hard at this stage to predict winners and losers, especially as it may be several years before any of these systems start to be deployed. And what will we call these new networks? 3.5G? 4G? Advanced 3G? Brilliant 3G?
3G networks are rolling out and are bringing us one step closer to wireless nirvana. In the meantime, it is enhanced 2G services such as CDMA2000 1xRTT and EDGE that provide the national coverage we need for widespread access. I’m a big fan of EDGE, happily using my Nokia 6230 EDGE-capable phone as a modem with a Bluetooth connection to my laptop. With all the emphasis on 3G services such as EV-DO (Evolved Data Optimized), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access – WCDMA on steroids), and mobile WiMAX in the wings, I was quite interested to just learn that 3GPP is actually looking at evolving EDGE in Release 7 specifications, with goals of doubling data rates and reducing latency to around 100 msec. Though this wouldn’t be available for deployment for another couple of years, it could be an interesting option for some cellular operators. It’s also interesting to see further effort going into a “legacy” time-division multiple access (TDMA) approach when the industry is currently debating the relative merits of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) versus Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) for next-generation cellular networks.
Evolution of the Wi-Fi Market Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 10:17 AM
I’m teaching a seminar on advances in wireless networking in a couple of weeks in Bellevue, Washington, so as I finalize my course content, I’m thinking about what are the most important developments in each wireless segment. In the Wi-Fi area, I think its centralized controller architectures, sometimes referred to as switching architectures. These provide centralized radio planning, security functions, mobility management and other functions. Underscoring this importance, Cisco acquired Airespace in January, and just last week Nortel did an OEM deal with Trapeze Networks and Aruba Wireless Networks did a similar deal with Aruba Wireless Networks. Unfortunately, there are no industry standards currently used for access point to controller communications, so the tricky thing for large deployments is that you have to make a major commitment to one vendor for a lot of Wi-Fi infrastructure. Fortunately, the end result is an efficient and secure managed network.
The Addiction of Wireless E-Mail Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 04:44 PM
I’m writing an article about wireless e-mail for Network Computing and we are taking a close look at the leading products in this space. I’m also trying to get as much hands-on experience with these products as I can, and one of my preliminary conclusions is that while having instant access to e-mail can enhance productivity, moving business interaction from fast to supersonic, that part of the appeal is one of instant gratification, with the hope and excitement in each chime of an incoming message that something good has just arrived. The sad reality is that most e-mail we receive represents new obligations, and it is only a small percentage of e-mail that actually brightens our day. Yet because we receive those occasional nuggets, we keep opening each message as soon we receive it fully of expectations. No wonder wireless e-mail is so addictive.
Connection Managers Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 02:56 PM
Connection managers are the software utilities that allow users to control their wireless network connections, used with cellular-data networks, WLANs and Wi-Fi hotspots. These managers may also configure items such as protocol stacks, COM ports as well as Bluetooth and IR configurations. They are supplied by multiple entities, including wireless operators, modem vendors, computer operating system vendors, computer hardware platform vendors, roaming enablers and wireless middleware providers. Their existence can simplify the user experience considerably, but they can also affect interoperability and cause complications, such as when a user wishes to have access to multiple networks and needs more than one manager. I mention this because I chair the Standards and Architecture Committee of the Portable Computer and Communications Association (PCCA). Our next meeting, May 12, in Seattle, will specifically address Connection Managers, as well as wireless network management interfaces. If this topic is relevant to your work, I encourage you to come to this meeting. Details are available at http://www.pcca.org.
Picture Messaging Interoperability Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 03:57 PM
Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless have just announced interoperability for their picture messaging services, technically known as Multimedia Messaging Services. Now a Cingular subscriber will be able to take a picture with their camera phone and send it to a Verizon subscriber, and visa versa. This is certainly an important step in making this type of service more popular. The industry has had high expectations that multimedia messaging would become as popular as text messaging, and would drive traffic on new data networks. So far, however, MMS has not taken off quite as quickly as hoped. This may be because sending text messages allows flexible communication between people, whereas there are only so many pictures you can send your friends and relatives. Still, I’m confident that over time people and developers will find innovative ways of taking advantage of multimedia messaging.
CTIA Wireless Observation – Converged Devices Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 07:24 PM
It’s hard to fully capture a wireless conference that has hundreds of exhibitors showing everything from RF connectors, tower equipment, wireless e-mail to the latest phones. However I was impressed by how cellular data is finally, after all these years, gaining serious traction both in consumer and enterprise markets. As for handsets, it was fascinating to see all the new features being incorporated into mobile phones, including instant messaging and e-mail clients, large color screens, MP3/AAC players (with multi GBytes of storage in the works), voice dialing, voice recognition for data input, built-in flashlights, 2 megapixel cameras, video recording and playing, navigation systems, and push to talk. The trend towards a single communications device that “does it all” has huge momentum, and though phones my not displace digital cameras due to the optics involved, they could make a serious dent in the music player market. As for myself, I’ve stopped using my PDA since I can now synch up my contacts and calendar with my phone, and use it to access my e-mail.
MIMO-OFDM Speeds Raise Backhaul Questions Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 12:41 PM
Two days ago, Nortel announced extremely high throughput speeds in an experimental MIMO-OFDM system of “37 Mbps over a standard 5 MHz PCS mobility band, taking into account noise and fading conditions found on a real-world cellular network.” This is significantly higher than what is being achieved today with 3G systems. MIMO-OFDM is also the basis of 802.11n, which promises throughput rates in excess of 100 Mbps for WLANs. I’ll have more to say about the evolution of 3G systems in subsequent blogs as this is an area I have been actively studying and reporting on over the last six months, but right now I want to raise an interesting problem, mentioned to me by a network architect yesterday who works for a major cellular operator. The problem is backhaul. As throughput rates increase with faster cellular air links, there is a fundamental problem connecting base stations to the infrastructure network. It used to be that a T1 (1.5 Mbps) would do the job, but now we’re looking at fiber rates (10 Mbps or greater), and fiber simply does not pass most cell sites. What to do? There are currently no good affordable answers for systems that are faster than the current 3G systems being deployed.
CTIA Wireless 2005 Posted By
Peter Rysavy
at 01:32 PM
Some of you may be heading to the CTIA Wireless 2005 show next week in New Orleans. If so, I may run into you. Like all consultants, I try and combine a show like this with exposure, research on projects I'm doing, and if I can actually earn some money, that's a bonus. So I feel fortunate that I'll be able to teach a half-day course as part of the show's Wireless Data University. My segment is "Wi-Fi and WiMAX in Detail". Given all the knowledgeable people who come to an event like this, it's a bit intimidating to get up there and to try and teach them things they don't already know. I expect the following to be big themes at this show: mobile entertainment (e.g., mobile video, phones with music players, multimegapixel picture/video phones), wireless VoIP, smartphones, 3G services (e.g., EV-DO, HSDPA), Wi-Fi/3G convergence and WiMAX. What an exciting time to be in this industry! I'll let you know next week how things turned out and what caught my attention.
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