Early attempts to deploy citywide wireless Internet access have run into unforeseen problems. Contractors have been forced to place more access points than planned, and subscribers need to attach signal boosters to their homes in order to receive Internet access. Help may be on the way in the form of Wavion, a San Jose, California-based… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Sherry Jones
802.11n Likely To Be Delayed Even More
The 802.11n Draft 1.0 — the most recent version of next-generation wireless technology — garnered 12,000 comments from the standards-setting group IEEE according to a WNN report. To be ratified, the draft spec must be approved by 75 percent of the voting membership, and the high volume of comments indicates that a finalized version of… Continue Reading
Vendors Argue WiMax, WiFi, HSDPA
At The Wireless Event in London, the merits of WiFi, HSDPA, and WiMAX — the contenders for wireless technology’s number one position — were debated back and forth, but discussions ended with no real winner. WiFi is predicted to come out on top initially thanks to its early market presence and to the lack of… Continue Reading
Linksys Launches 802.11g VOIP Phones
Linksys has released their new 802.11g wireless VoIP phones, the WIP300 and the WIP330. Both WiFi phones require a broadband connection and activated VoIP service to operate. The WIP300, with a 1.8-inch color display and standard features such as call forwarding, call transfer, and call history, has an estimated street price of $219.99. The WIP330,… Continue Reading
Silicon Valley Backs US Wireless Broadband Plan
John Muleta (former head of the FCC’s wireless bureau) and cable executive Milo Medin (creator of AtHome Networks) have founded M2Z Networks Inc. with the goal of offering nationwide high-speed Internet service via a vacated slice of airwaves. The unused airwaves, 2155 megahertz (Mhz) to 2175 Mhz, have been allocated for advanced wireless service, and… Continue Reading
The New Wireless Wars
The wireless industry, which was down to just three major players, is on the verge of expanding. The FCC kicks off its wireless spectrum auction in June — now named Auction 66, and worth an estimated $8 billion to $15 billion — and more than the usual suspects are expected to line up for a… Continue Reading
WiMAX Poised For Big Growth, Says Research Firm
With an expected compound annual growth rate of more than 268 percent, the WiMAX market is taking the lead in the mobile wireless race. According to market research analyst firm Semico Research Corp., WiMAX is “poised to do for broadband what cellular has done for phones — make broadband mobile.” Investors such as Intel and… Continue Reading
Alienware Chooses Airgo Chipsets For New Laptops
Alienware, a soon-to-be-acquired-by-Dell niche PC maker, has targeted chipsets made by Airgo Networks to power two of the Alienware game-focused laptops. The notebooks — Aurora m9700 and Aurora mALX — will come equipped with Airgo’s Gen3 True MIMO technology (multiple input, multiple output), combining mobility plus Wi-Fi connections at speeds fast enough for high-performance gaming.… Continue Reading
Philly Takes Another Step In Wi-Fi Net
Philadelphia’s municipal Wi-Fi network is soon to be a reality; a city subcommittee recently signed off on the new project, with Earthlink being awarded the network contract. Wi-Fi connections are hoped to reach throughout the city, but it’s a no-go until the project passes full city-council approval. Via [wirelessweek.com]… Continue Reading
WiFi Is Us
Japanese chip giant Renesas Technology Corp. is cooperating with Israeli company, Metalink, to develop a high-speed video transmission solution for domestic consumers’ wireless networks. Renesas, in control of a 33% share of the global embedded cip market for semiconductors in elecronic entertainment, cellular phones, automotive navigation devices, and more, plans to integrate Metalink’s 802.11n compliant… Continue Reading
Consumers Warned Off Pre-Standard 802.11n Purchases
Pre-standard Wi-Fi 802.11n products are entering the marketplace, but consumers are warned to beware before buying. While investment risks for home networking products run fairly low — about $150 or less — users should know that uncertified equipment may not be interoperable with upcoming certified components. Early tests report ‘draft N” performance as less than… Continue Reading
Wireless-N Could Stand For ‘Not Interoperable’
Interoperability is key to the newly-available Wireless-N products using 802.11n draft specifications. Since the standard they’re based on isn’t yet official, users shouldn’t be swayed by promises such as four times the range and 12 times the throughput of current 802.11g standard products. While products based on the final 802.11n standard may meet those speed… Continue Reading
Cisco, Motorola Abandon Wi-Fi/Cellular Venture
This year’s plan for a “seamless” cellular/WiFi roaming technology partnership between Cisco Systems Inc. and Motorola turned out to be not so seamless, so a new generation of fixed/mobile convergence devices won’t be coming your way until at least 2007. The devices are predicted to allow handsets to roam seamlessly between WiFi and cellular networks… Continue Reading
Experts Raise Health Concerns Over WiFi
Headaches, fatigue, irritability and lack of concentration can be caused by many things, but disturbing new evidence points to your Wi-Fi network as a suspect. Studies estimate about two to three percent of the population may be “electrosensitive” to the emissions from wireless access points and other electromagnetic devices. Precautionary advice from the Health Protection… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi/VoIP iPod Could Attract 100m Users
Bundling reaches new heights with plans to add WiFi and VoIP to items such as Apple’s iPod digital media players. A new study suggests that the combination, called “real-time Internet,” will become the preferred way for consumers to access the Internet in the future. 100 million consumer mobile VoIP users are expected by the year… Continue Reading