Starting January 2007, broadband subscribers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) will get an upgrade in their connection — speeds will go up from 256 kilobits per second to 2 megabits per second. India’s national telecommunications carrier has no intention to charge more for the service; thus the tariff will remain at 250 rupees (or a… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: December 2006
Next-gen Nabaztag Wi-Fi Rabbit Delayed In U.S.
Shipment of the next generation of Nabaztag, a WiFi rabbit from French design house Violet, to the U.S. remains uncertain. The Nabaztag development blog cited issues raised by the Federal Communications Commission, which have now been cleared, for the delay. The new “Nabaztag/tag” is already available in France, the U.K., and the rest of Europe.… Continue Reading
Holiday Decorations vs. Wi-Fi Networks
A study by wireless networking firm AirMagnet indicates that holiday decorations cause interference to indoor Wi-Fi network. It found out that tinsels and Christmas wreaths can reduce WiFi signal strength by 25 percent. Chia-Chee Kuan, AirMagnet’s CTO and vice president of engineering, said the introduction of new elements in a corporate environment has potential serious… Continue Reading
Netgear Debuts Long-awaited Wi-Fi Phone
Netgear is bringing its WiFi phone, which can make calls using Skype, to Singapore. The company is selling the handset for S$349 (US$2226) and has preloaded it with Skype software. To make calls through SPH101, the user must be within the coverage of a 802.11b or a 802.11g wireless system and must hold a proper… Continue Reading
Ofcom Auction Opens Door To Mobile WiMAX, TV
Ofcom is due to auction frequencies that will enable a range of services such as mobile WiMAX, mobile TV, and alternative 3G networks. The British communications regulator plans to put up three bands — 2500-2690 MHz, 2010-2025 MHz and 2290-2300 MHz and in total 215 MHz — for public sale and has sought proposals from… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi Chip Shipments Expected To Top 200M In 2006
According to a new study by the Wi-Fi Alliance and research firm In-Stat, global shipments of WiFi chips will surge to 200.9 million this year from 160.9 million in 2005. Chips for Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and routers make up most of the volume at 75 percent, while those for portable consumer electronics like hand-held video games… Continue Reading
Qualcomm’s WiFi Joins With Airgo To Battle Intel’s WiMAX
Qualcomm is buying Airgo Networks and announced plans to market the latter’s so-called “802.11n Draft 2.0-compliant” chipset. The said silicon is due to make an appearance at CES 2007 in Las Vegas. Some analysts believe it will not be an easy road for Qualcomm. At the moment, some 370 technical issues beset Draft 2.0 and… Continue Reading
A WiFi Mesh Network For Your Car
DaimlerChrysler announced that its field trial of WILLWARN, a research project by the PReVENT initiative aimed at reducing road accidents in Europe, has been a success. The project involves installing WLAN routers in cars to allow drivers to share information on temperature, road conditions, fog, or road obstructions within a 500 meter radius. Car2Car Communication… Continue Reading
Intel Rolls Out New WiMax Chipset
In Hong Kong, Intel showed off its WiMax Connection 2300 chipset, which it embedded in a Intel Centrino Duo-based computer with WiMax, WiFi and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G capabilities. The silicon, according the company, can extend the range and capacity of wireless networks. DataComm President Ira Brodsky lauded Intel’s move to combine WiMax… Continue Reading
Does Qualcomm Really Have 802.11n Draft 2.0?
Qualcomm’s announcement of the “availability” of a chip complying with Draft 2.0 of 802.11n standard due to its acquisition of Airgo, has raised eyebrows. Conforming to a draft of the standard is not logical. In addition, the IEEE 802.11n group needs to resolve 370 issues that came out of its November meeting and a vote… Continue Reading
S.F. Nears WiFi Deal
Contract negotiations over a citywide wireless network in San Francisco is set to wrap up soon, according Chris Vein, who heads the city’s technology office. The city has already selected the joint venture of Google and Earthlink for the multi-million-dollar project. Under the deal, Earthlink will build and manage the 50-square-mile network, which will hold… Continue Reading
WiMAX May Challenge Asia 3G ‘In Five Years’
Analysts believe it will take another five years for WiMax to challenge 3G in the Asia Pacific region. According to In-Stat analyst Bryan Wang, WiMax users will grow to 14 million by 2011. This is just about 8 percent of the Asian 3G market by that time, as per the prediction of Frost & Sullivan… Continue Reading
Leicester Square To Become A Free WiFi Zone
Visitors to Leicester Square can now access the Internet wirelessly for free. The London tourist spot now hosts an 8 Mbit/s line but those connecting to it must be aware of the zone’s fair use clause, i.e., no one person should tap all the bandwidth at once. According to Phil Ryan of the PR and… Continue Reading
Alcatel, Sequans Team For Mobile WiMAX
Alcatel and Sequans Communications are teaming up to develop low-cost devices for mobile WiMax networks. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2007. The deal involves integrating Alcatel’s advanced antenna technology with Sequans’ SQN1110, which is based on Universal WiMAX 802.16e-2005. The silicon offers a throughput of 10 Mbps and needs less… Continue Reading
The Air Is Free, And Sometimes So Are The Phone Calls That Borrow It
Some consumers are now having a taste of mobile phones that can make calls over the Internet. Companies like Vonage, Skype and T-Mobile are either promoting or selling these devices, which tap WiFi access points, particularly those installed in coffee shops, parks, businesses and homes, to enable calls. Some home network users do not welcome… Continue Reading