Submit Web Site for possible FREE INCLUSION in WISP Directory (or UPDATE current Listing) once authenticity is verified by human editor

Link to Sprint Interactive Cell Tower Maps

Antennas & Towers / Site Acquisition, Construction & Mgt. / Equipment Sheds / Enclosures & Grounding

Selected WiMAX / WiFi News Articles

Sprint and Intel to Test Mobile WiMAX

5/5/2005 - Sprint and Intel Corp. are working together on advancing the development of future mobile WiMAX technology, according to an announcement issued by the companies. The companies will collaborate on technical specifications concerning the yet-to-be-approved IEEE 802.16e specification, which is supported by the WiMAX Forum for future mobile wireless MAN applications.

In addition, the companies will perform equipment trials and conduct interoperability testing using the technology. The joint effort will assess how mobile WiMAX broadband wireless technology might meet business and consumer demands for high-speed Internet access and integrated multimedia services.

READ ENTIRE Broadband Wireless Business Magazine Article: Sprint and Intel to Test Mobile WiMAX

Sprint's Got WiMax Plans

February 3, 2005 - Sprint Corp. (NYSE: FON ) may use WiMax metropolitan area technology to provide high-speed wireless broadband services in the coming years. The operator, which joined the WiMax Forum this week, says it hopes to start beta testing WiMax equipment towards the end of this year (see Sprint Joins WiMax Forum). Oliver Valente, VP of technology development at Sprint, says the carrier is looking at WiMax as a potential way of delivering wireless voice, video, and data services, "beyond what mobile can offer."

Sprint's wireless arm is currently in the process of rolling out CDMA EV-DO services that offer average downloads speeds of 300 to 500 kbit/s. Since no actual WiMax network is up and running yet, it's hard to say exactly what download speeds will be. But most WiMax people that Unstrung has spoken to expect to see average downloads speeds of around 1 Mbit/s.

Sprint is well placed to offer cable-like broadband wireless services in the U.S. "We have a large bandwidth of spectrum available," notes Valente. Indeed, once the merger with Nextel Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTL) is completed, the operator will have 90MHz of 2.5GHz spectrum, covering 80 markets.

The operator has tested other wireless technologies, such as the broadband offering from Flarion Technologies, in its bid to offer speedier wireless services. But, at the moment, Valente says that WiMax is the leading contender. Valente says Sprint is hoping that WiMax will become a "global, open technology standard."

READ ENTIRE Unstrung Article: Sprint says WiMax is the Leading Contender to Offer Cable-Like Broadband Wireless Services in the U.S

3G can hold own against WiMax says Nokia

2 Feb 2005, - Future evolutions of 3G will be able to see off the potential threat from WiMax, according to Nokia Corp. In a panel discussion with UK journalists in Helsinki last week, leading figures in Nokia's technology platforms and networks businesses explained that much of the hype associated with WiMax, which in some quarters has been labeled a 3G-killer, arise from some basic misunderstandings about radio technology and the economics of network rollout.

The next evolution of wideband CDMA (WCDMA), the 3G migration path chosen by the majority of GSM operators, known as HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access), should begin commercial deployments next year, according to Nokia. HSDPA will ultimately offer around 20Mbps for systems employing MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) smart antenna technology over a 5MHz band. WiMax, meanwhile, has gained considerable column inches on the grounds that it will be able to deliver up to 70Mbps over a distance of 50km, under ideal conditions.

Despite the hype, little WiMax-compliant equipment has yet hit the market although momentum is building and pre-WiMax, or WiMax-ready, equipment is slowly being deployed by some wireless broadband providers.

READ ENTIRE Computer Business Review Article: The Mobile Version of WiMax, Lbeled 802.16e, is Lkely to be Aproved by Md-Yar

Solution Combines the Highest Voice QoS with the Economies of VoIP

2/2/2005 -- Veraz Networks Launches Wireless Network Compression Solution Enabling Wireless Operators to Avoid Expensive Leased Networks. Veraz Networks announced the launch of its new Wireless Network Compression solution that allows wireless carriers and service providers to benefit from VoIP, when they are required to transport calls over leased lines. In India, as well as many other countries, wireless operators are required to interconnect their Mobile Switching Centers over expensive leased circuits. By using Veraz's Wireless Network Compression solution, wireless operators are able to dramatically lower their operational costs by using significantly high quality compressed VoIP to transport calls when they are required to lease circuits as is often the case when interconnecting sites across regulated borders.

The Veraz Wireless Network Compression solution provides VoIP Trunking for the most demanding voice applications and the most rigorous environments that are often found in emerging markets such as India. In addition to the high quality compression and echo cancellation, the Wireless Network Compression solution features silence suppression with superior Voice Activity Detection (VAD) and Comfort Noise Generation (CNG), and intelligent packet loss concealment (PLC) with low-delay and non-blocking.

"For mobile operators, our solution actually enables them to significantly lower the toll that they currently pay, and thus provide much more competitive rates to their customers," said Amit Chawla, Executive VP, Global Marketing at Veraz Networks.

READ ENTIRE Veraz Networks Press release: Wireless Network Compression Solution Enabling Wireless Operators to Avoid Expensive Leased Networks

The Dawn of WiMax

(Jan 31, 2005) -- WiMax won't unseat current wireless broadband technologies, but it could become an important technology for certain types of applications. As WiMax trickles into the public consciousness, people are starting to ask questions about the high-bandwidth wireless technology, such as: How will it compete with widely deployed wired broadband technologies, such as cable and DSL? Will it soon replace Wi-Fi?

When available, WiMax will offer fixed, nomadic and mobile wireless broadband connectivity�without needing direct line-of-sight access to a base station. In typical configurations, WiMax could deliver per-channel capacities up to 40M bps for fixed and nomadic access and 5- to 10M-bps capacity for cell deployments, depending on spectrum allocation, network loading and terrain. The fixed wireless implementation, which is based on the 802.16a standard, will be the first to market, with equipment from vendors available as early as this year. Intended for last-mile broadband access, 802.16a will be considered an alternative to cable, DSL and T-1 lines.

Deployments of the mobile wireless version of WiMax will come late next year or early in 2007. This implementation, based on the 802.16e standard, will support nomadic applications and will primarily contend with the 2.5G and 3G wireless technologies that are available from licensed mobile operators. In the future, mobile WiMax could vie with the mobile wireless successor known as 4G, or fourth generation. While WiMax boasts certain strengths, its advantages are not compelling enough to unseat the entrenched technologies already deployed for fixed broadband. WiMax, however, could become an important technology for certain types of applications.

READ ENTIRE eWEEK Article: Mobile WiMax Could Vie with the Mobile Wireless Successor Known as 4G

WiFi Expansion Threatens Verizon, Cingular & Sprint/Nextel

January 26, 2005-- Increased deployment and aggressive pricing of WiFi capabilities from operators such as SBC, AT&T, and MCI, as well as the increased provisioning of free WiFi hotspots will place as much as $12 Billion of projected profits at US wireless operators at risk, according to new analysis from Strategy Analytics. The key impacts on US wireless operators will include a reduction in projected wireless data ARPU (average revenue per user) from $3.40 to $3.20 in 2005, and from $10 projected in 2008 to $7.20; an effective reduction in the average projected cost in the US to transmit one megabyte of data from nearly $12 previously projected for 2005 to about $6, and for 2008, a reduction from about $4 down to $1.50; a reduction in US wireless industry EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization) as a percent of revenue from 30.5 percent in 2005 to 30 percent and in 2008, from about 30.5 percent down to 26.5 percent.

Wireless data activity and revenues will grow rapidly in the US. The growing availability of lower cost or free WiFi services will definitely cut into the projected revenues and profitability for cellular-based services.

READ ENTIRE STRATEGY ANALYTICS Report: $12 Billion Risk of Lost Profits Facing North American Wireless

WiMAX delay shakes investor confidence

(Jan 21, 2005) -- Analysis The news that the 802.16-2004 certification process was delayed by about six months was not a great surprise, although it is ironic that lack of chips from Intel seems to be one of the problems. The main negative impact will be on investor confidence and overall perception of WiMAX, since most operators are either going ahead with prestandard equipment or have long roll-out schedules anyway. However, the delay will prompt scepticism about the program, and this will be far more serious if it has a knock-on effect on the upcoming mobile standard, 802.16e. It is essential that, from now on, the WiMAX Forum sets realistic deadlines and does not allow further risk of backlash against its technologies

Dean Chang, marketing director at Aperto and chair of the WiMAX Forum�s service provider working group, said in an interview that the delay was down to two factors � that it took longer to set up the certification team and laboratories than expected, and that the schedules of some companies making chips for customer premises equipment (CPE) �did not come to fruition�. There is a very serious onus on the WiMAX Forum and its key members now to set realistic expectations, to be ruthlessly honest and even over-cautious about timescales for mobility, and concentrate on selling WiMAX on the basis of its real benefits and potential, not its time to market.

READ ENTIRE Wireless Watch REPORT: Concentrate on Selling WiMAX on the Basis of its Real Benefits and Potential

Internet and Phone Companies Plot Wireless-Broadband Push

(Jan 20, 2005) -- Several big Internet and phone companies are moving to provide wireless high-speed access to the Internet -- without phone lines or cable -- challenging the dominance of those traditional connections to millions of U.S. homes and offices. EarthLink Inc. hopes to be selling this kind of Internet access, known as wireless broadband, in multiple markets across the country by the second half of this year, according to a company executive. Sprint Corp. and MCI Inc. are actively testing the technology, while AT&T Corp. plans to begin deploying it in 2006.

These various wireless moves have the potential to yet again shift the balance of power in the rapidly changing U.S. telecommunications industry, giving consumers a potentially cheaper and more flexible alternative to phone and cable lines for Internet access and many other services.

One of the technologies drawing the most attention is WiMAX, which is similar to the popular Wi-Fi standard that millions of people have used to set up wireless networks in their homes but is slated to have a range of several miles. Since WiMAX has yet to be certified, companies are using precursors to the technology.

READ ENTIRE THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT: Internet and Phone Companies Plot Wireless-Broadband Push

Wireless broadband: anti-poverty weapon

(Jan 18, 2005) -- Matt Stone, Civitium's Government Strategist, has just written a case study about how the People's Emergency Center (PEC) wireless broadband network and training program are transforming a low-income community in Philadelphia. This case study is a must-read for everyone, especially municipal officials and state legislators, because it lays out a model that communities can adopt to fight unemployment and poverty.

PEC is a non-profit in Philadelphia that provides an emergency shelter for the homeless and affordable housing for low-income families. They are located in a neighborhood where the median family income is less than $20,000 per year. In the spring of 2002, PEC took their T-1 line and used it to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity to the neighborhood for $5 per month. Because many residents did not have computers or know how to use them, PEC began offering computer training courses. Those who completed the course were able to buy a refurbished computer with wireless card for $120. As more people finished the course and bought computers, PEC began to get support questions so they trained teenagers in the community, many of whom provide technical support to their neighbors. This was the beginning of the remarkable Digital Inclusion Program

Matt's case study is the story of a community - a group of people who want to improve their own lives. Their story underscores how inexpensive wireless broadband provides access, not just to cool Internet applications and email, but to a completely different future than the one they used to face everyday. PEC is a strong argument against Pennsylvania House Bill 30 and the efforts of cable/DSL incumbents to block the rapid rollout of municipal wireless networks. Now imagine if all communities had very inexpensive broadband access....

To download the Muniwireless case study, go to: http://www.muniwireless.com/reports/docs/CivitiumPEC.pdf

Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence Subscribers to Reach 55 Million by 2010

UMA Opens the Door to Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence With Mobile Operators Expected to Launch Service in 2006

SEATTLE, WA -- (Market Wire - Jan 18, 2005) -- Wi-Fi and cellular convergence is about to hit the mainstream, with mobile operators planning to deploy UMA services over the next 12 months, according to a new report from Senza Fili Consulting, a consultancy focused on wireless data technologies and services.

The report, UMA and Beyond: Mobile Operators Benefit from Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence, estimates the revenues from Wi-Fi and cellular convergence services to be $1.6 billion by 2010 in the US alone, with over 26 million subscribers. "North America will be the largest and one of the first markets to launch UMA services," said Monica Paolini, author of the report. "Mobile operators see Wi-Fi and cellular convergence as a cost-effective way to improve residential coverage, increase ARPU, and keep churn down."

Worldwide demand for Wi-Fi and cellular converged services will reach 55 million by 2010. Western Europe, Japan and Korea will be key UMA markets and, as broadband penetration grows, China will quickly become a very attractive market.

READ ENTIRE Market Wire Release: Mobile Operators See Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence as a Cost-Effective Way to Improve Residential Coverage

Radioactive: The right role for WiMax

January 05 2005 -- A little less conversation and a little more action, please... WiMax, the latest wireless broadband standard, promises to be all things to all men, so how can it gain focus and mature? Anthony Plewes looks at the challenges this technology must overcome and where it fits in the wireless world. WiMax is the answer to everything, or so it seems: a wireless alternative to DSL and cable modems; a bigger and better technology for hotspots; the saviour of rural broadband; even a 3G killer.

The hype is being fed by Intel's commitment to the technology. The chip giant's marketing machine is already comparing WiMax's expected impact on DSL and cable modems to the impact that mobile telephony has had on fixed telephony. Intel's support could do for WiMax what it did with Centrino for Wi-Fi.

One of the problems faced by WiMax in this early stage of its development is that over-enthusiastic vendors are talking up different parts of the technology with no clear message about its best use. Being promoted in such diverse applications - from mobile broadband to backhaul and rural broadband - is surely disingenuous. The overhyping of the latest wireless technology in certain parts of the press should also be ringing alarm bells in WiMax HQ. When Radioactive contacted the WiMax Forum, a board member told us that many of the more excessive claims are made by small start-ups. "Speeds of 70Mbps are rubbish," he said. "One to 10 is much more realistic."

The WiMax Forum must ensure the technology is attractive enough for operators to provide mobile data services. WiMax has already irked vendors of existing technologies, in particular the 3G equipment makers. A recent study published by Analysys warned that WiMax vendors will have major challenges selling the technology to mobile operators over the options they have in 3G enhancements such as HSDPA. They study said the WiMax Forum needs to better clarify the capability and role of its mobile variant so that operators will start to take it seriously.

READ ENTIRE Radioactive Commentary: WiMax has already Irked Vendors of Existing Technologies

Wi-Fi goes (West) Hollywood

January 04 2005 -- Surfing on the Sunset Strip? The city of West Hollywood, home of the renowned Sunset Strip, wants to join the growing ranks of municipalities making free wireless broadband available to anyone. The city plans to choose an equipment supplier by late February. Construction of an initial network covering portions of Santa Monica Boulevard will begin soon after, and a citywide wireless broadband system could be in place in about two years, according to a request for proposals the city recently issued.

Like the authorities in immediate neighbor Culver City, and in cities like Philadelphia, civic leaders in West Hollywood think free broadband that uses relatively inexpensive and ubiquitous Wi-Fi wireless networks would enhance tourism, help businesses draw customers, make life easier for city employees and improve public safety. West Hollywood's information technology manager, Brian Ganley, said the free service won't cost the area's broadband providers enough business to be worth worrying about. "We are not building this to compete with anyone," Ganley said. "This is not something where residents will cancel their cable or digital subscriber lines."

It remains to be seen just what the broadband providers' reactions will be. SBC, the local phone service and broadband provider, has yet to object to similar projects under way in neighboring Culver City and Long Beach, according to Ganley. An SBC representative said the company has raised objections to other municipal buildouts in the past, but was unaware of any ongoing efforts in southern California. "We are not telling cities not to do this, but we just want them to know what they are getting into," said an SBC spokesman.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Article: Wi-Fi Wireless Networks would Enhance Tourism - Help Busines & Government

Vonage Mobile VoIP Phone

1/3/2005 -- Internet phone calling, which is already rocking the traditional phone business, is poised to take on the cell phone industry later this year.

Vonage, the No. 1 Internet phone company, will unveil plans Tuesday to offer subscribers a wireless Wi-Fi phone that can make calls over the Internet at homes or at public Wi-Fi hot spots. For Vonage subscribers, the phone could amount to a kind of limited-use cell phone that would cost nothing extra.

Several smaller companies have introduced Wi-Fi phones in the USA at prices ranging from $130 to $750. But Vonage's move would mark the first mass-market rollout of the device at a lower price, probably around $100. "Our customers are asking for it," says Vonage CEO Jeffrey Citron.

The service poses at least some threat to wireless carriers because Wi-Fi calls are effectively free, says TeleChoice analyst Daniel Briere. cell phone calls, by contrast, eat up a monthly bucket of minutes. The company plans to roll out the phone, made by UTStarcom, between April and June.

READ ENTIRE USA TODAY article: Wireless Net calling targets masses

Solar Power Aircraft Will Make Wi-Fi Broadband Available To All

December 23, 2004, - An international project is developing new technology that can be installed into high altitude platforms - such as solar powered aircraft or airships - to make Broadband Internet access available to remote areas and moving trains. With the help of 3.1 million euros from the EU�s Framework Programme, the CAPANINA project brings together 13 partners from across Europe and Japan and is named after the restaurant in Italy where initial discussions were held. It will develop the equipment to operate from aircraft or airships operating as �High Altitude Platforms� (HAPs) that are permanently located in the sky. Placing these HAPs at an altitude of 20 kilometers - well above the flight path of normal aeroplanes but below satellites - will provide a cheaper and more efficient solution than those currently available, as they do not require underground cabling or masts.

"The HAPs technology is an interesting potential solution for delivering Broadband Internet to rural, suburban and other hard-to-reach areas," says Peter Walters, FP6UK National Contact Point for IST. "Demand for fast communication is increasing all over the world, and this technology offers an innovative way of delivering broadband inexpensively to people at home, in the office, and on the move.

"The opportunities offered by HAPs are exciting as they could deliver broadband connections which are 2,000 times faster than a traditional modem and 200 times faster than today�s �wired� ADSL broadband. HAPs are also easier to maintain than satellites as they can be periodically brought back to earth for upgrades and maintenance."

The project partners hope to achieve the first objective of CAPANINA - to deliver broadband connections to rural areas across Europe - within the next four years. Then they will look at delivering Broadband to moving trains using �smart� antenna systems, that link with access points on the train. This will give passengers high-speed Internet connections from �Wi-Fi� enabled lap-tops. "The development of these high altitude platforms offers an exciting and innovative solution to the likely communications problems of the future. They have more capacity, provide quicker and cheaper connections and have little impact on the environment."

READ ENTIRE PhysOrg article: 'High Altitude Platforms' (HAPs) Will Make Wi-Fi Broadband Available Inexpensively to People at Home, in the Office, and on the Move

Auto Makers to Create Car-to-Car 802.11 WLAN - a Huge 'Automobile Internet'

Tuesday 21st December 2004, - Car makers BMW, Audi, Daimler Chrysler, Volkswagen, Renault and Fiat have won a German government grant to help develop the basis for a standard method for car-to-car wireless data. The money will be used by Network on Wheels (NOW), a project run out of the University of Mannheim with the participation of Karlsruhe Technical University. NOW is funded in part by the German 'Ministry for R&D'; the Car2Car Communication Consortium, a non-profit organisation founded by said vehicle manufacturers; Siemens; NEC; and the Fraunhofer Institute, itself better known as the home of the MP3 format.

NOW is focusing on 802.11 technology and IPv6 to develop "inter-vehicle communication based on ad hoc networking principles." Essentially, it's exploring ways that moving vehicles can automatically set up temporary links with other cars, bikes and trucks in the vicinity, and share traffic information. With routing capabilities, the whole thing could become a huge 'automobile Internet', with vehicles warning each other - and their drivers - about slow-downs, bad weather, accidents and other road problems.

It's all very clever, of course, and impressive from a technological standpoint. However, alongside the rewards there's a risk to personal liberties, as the potential is once again opened for government and law-enforcement agencies to track vehicle movement. Something we'll undoubtedly be forced to swallow on the grounds it allegedly makes terrorism less likely. Along with the ID cards, phone taps, satellite tracking, CCTV cameras et al that are supposedly keeping us safe.

NOW's work will feed into the Consortium's effort to create Continuous Communications Air Interface for Long and Medium Range (CALM) - this vehicle-to-vehicle network. CALM also ties into the European Commission's eSafety Programme, itself geared toward a 50 per cent reduction in road fatalities by 2010.

READ ENTIRE The Register article: Huge 802.11 Wireless 'Automobile Internet' Share Traffic Information to Help Reduce Road Fatalities

FCC Action Will Encourage Wireless Broadband: WISP

December 17, 2004, - Wireless broadband will become increasingly attractive because of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action this week to amend the Telecom Act of 1996, a wireless ISP said Thursday. The FCC changed its regulations that required incumbent telecom companies, primarily the old Bell operating companies, to subsidize their competitors. That, in turn, will lead to higher prices for enterprise-class access such as T1 and DS3 loops, according to wireless ISP TowerStream.

"The only way to avoid the impending rise in prices is to bypass wires altogether," TowerStream said in a statement. That company provides pre-WiMAX wireless broadband to enterprises in five major metropolitan areas in the U.S. Some observers said the FCC's vote will be a blow to so-called Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs). The Telecom Act attempted to increase competition by requiring incumbent carriers, known as ILECs, to allow CLECs to use their infrastructure equipment and to, essentially, subsidize the competitors.

TowerStream's COO, Jeff Thompson, said that wireless broadband bypasses both the CLECs and ILECs. "The FCC ruling casts uncertainty over the CLEC industry for months and perhaps years to come," Thompson said in a statement. "Subsidies have been steadily declining, and have now reached the point where ILECs will have no constraints to raise their T1 prices in dense urban areas." Wireless broadband vendors like TowerStream don't use any incumbent facilities and, therefore, can keep prices down, Thompson said.

READ ENTIRE Mobile Pipeline News article: WiMax Wireless Broadband Will Become Attractive to Avoid Costly Connections from Incumbent Telecom Companies

WiMax: All-conquering 3G killer or white elephant niche player?

December 14 2004, - Mobile internet could go one of two ways... Wireless broadband technologies like - even if the big mobile firms get cold feet over the tech, new research claims. Although some mobile operators are already dipping their toe in WiMax waters - O2 is already looking into the technology's potential - WiMax will have to prove itself before mobile's big players will be persuaded to open their wallets, a new report from research firm Analysys claims.

3G also has time on it side - WiMax, for example, isn't likely to make it into the wider mobile arena before 2007, at which point third generation phones will make up 25 per cent of all shipments according to analyst house IDC. However, more than one way to get WiMax and its ilk adopted. The report also foresees potential for BWA technologies as a competitor to fixed broadband services - although such technologies are already being used in this way: Kent is soon to get the UK's first WiMax network, for example.

Dr Mark Heath, co-author of the new report, said that a selection of wireless companies could turn WiMax and similar technologies to their advantage - but are unlikely to be serious contenders unless they invest in VoIP. "Fixed operators, ISPs, WLAN hotspot providers and major consumer and business-to-business brands could deploy the technologies to offer a mix of voice and data services in direct competition with mobile operators but they are going to need a really strong business case and wireless voice over IP will be critical to boosting revenues and profitability," he said in a statement.

READ ENTIRE Silicon.com article: WiMax Operators Need a Really Strong Business Case and Wireless Voice over IP will be Critical

Is Government Your Next Broadband Provider?

December 14 2004, - Last-minute negotiations between Philadelphia and Verizon rescued a proposal to build the largest metropolitan Wi-Fi network. But many still are asking: Should government get into the broadband business and compete with the private sector?

From San Francisco and Seattle to New York and New Jersey, dozens of municipalities are using metropolitan Wi-Fi to bridge the so-called digital divide and bring broadband access to all their citizens. This trend represents a new twist on an old idea: Like municipal utilities of the past, high-speed access to the Internet is being seen as a public commodity. "Increasingly, municipalities view broadband as a utility, like water," says Aaron Nutt, analyst for Atlantic-ACM. But critics claim there's a vast difference between water and high-speed wireless access.

READ ENTIRE MobilePipeline.com article: Municipalities are Using Metropolitan Wi-Fi to Bridge the So-Called Digital Divide

Wi-Fi network could become nation's largest

December 14, 2004, Atlanta's ambitious plan to create the nation's biggest citywide Wi-Fi network is no longer up in the air. This month, the entire first and second floors of City Hall, including the council chamber and offices, will become one big wireless hotspot. By March 2005, the concourses, atrium and other public areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will follow suit after months of delays. From there, the network will expand to additional municipal buildings, parks and -- in a notable departure from other cities' Wi-Fi (short for wireless fidelity) rollouts -- office buildings, apartments, hotels, convention centers and other properties under a unique public-private partnership.

Proponents say the system, known as Atlanta FastPass, will let Atlanta compete with cities traditionally viewed as more Wi-Fi friendly -- like San Francisco and Seattle -- attracting tech-savvy businesses, workers and tourists to the area who want to access the Internet and corporate intranets on the go. And because it is not actually run by the city and should work in conjunction with major telecom providers' own Wi-Fi networks, it also could avoid legal challenges facing municipalities in states from Florida to Pennsylvania.

The entire FastPass system could still be held up by an entirely different sort of delay, however. With several large cities unveiling plans for citywide Wi-Fi networks over the past few months, big telecom companies like Verizon Communications Inc. have blasted their efforts as unfair competition and pushed for state-level legislation banning the practice.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that such legislation is legal. BellSouth, which is testing Wi-Fi service in Charlotte, N.C., has no immediate plans to oppose the FastPass system, according to spokeswoman LeAnn Boucher.

READ ENTIRE MSNBC news article: Big Telecom Companies like Verizon Communications Have Blasted Their Efforts as Unfair Competition

Future of Cell Calls? Wi-Fi Networks

December 13, 2004, One-third of cell calls are made from the home or in an office: This means that cell/Wi-Fi hybrid phones could offload a ton of minutes used on expensive cell networks to cheap Wi-Fi networks, possibly not even counting those minutes against a subscriber's plan. This Wall Street Journal column notes the Stupid Network problem that David Isenberg has pioneered: namely that a stupid network with no intelligence trying to control its purpose, like the Internet, has much higher utility than a closed, smart network that restricts access like a cellular network.

And there's a good quote from the always quotable smart guy Dana Blankenhorn: Whether it takes one year or five, when callers start relying less on their cellphones to make calls, it will shake up the industry. "Verizon thinks it can stop the future," Mr. Blankenhorn says. "No. They can stop it in Pennsylvania, but they can't stop the future."

READ ENTIRE WiFiNetNews.com article: Future of Cell Calls? Wi-Fi Networks

Wi-Fi Enabled Phones Are About to Swamp the Market

10 December 2004 -- Wireless devices will swamp the market this year, says ABI Research. Wireless LAN-enabled mobile phones and handhelds are on the way, whether network administrators are ready for them or not.

ABI Research raised its forecast for this year's shipments of wireless handsets in a new report, and predicted that Wi-Fi enabled phones are about to swamp the market, creating fresh complications for enterprises managing wireless LANs.

The proliferation of Wi-Fi data devices poses security questions for system administrators, according to industry experts - the cheapness of access points and the fact that WLAN chipsets are now found in most business laptops means that unauthorised WLAN usage is now a fact of life in businesses. The increase in Wi-Fi devices is likely to increase the need for security equipment designed to monitor and lock down wireless networks. Last week, Engim and Airmagnet launched what they call the first access point reference design with a built-in security sensor; the device could show up in other vendors' Wi-Fi systems next year.

Wireless VoIP poses other problems; it means increased numbers of users with less predictable roaming patterns, placing more capacity demands on the Wi-Fi infrastructure, experts say. For some businesses it may be necessary to bring in a higher-density WLAN with the ability to distinguish between voice and data traffic and manage the quality-of-service issues associated with VoIP, industry analysts say.

READ ENTIRE Techworld article: Wi-Fi Phones Are On Your Network, Like It Or Not

Intel, AT&T team on WiMAX

December 9, 2004, Intel and AT&T have been working together under a rare alliance to boost their suffering communications businesses. Executives from the two companies confirmed late Thursday that they will collaborate on several communications projects as part of an agreement they committed to about six months ago. The projects are aimed at creating standardized components, as well as blueprints for products that manufacturers will create and sell to small and medium-size businesses.

AT&T has seen better days. Amid cutthroat pricing, the emergence of rival MCI from bankruptcy protection, and a regulatory climate that led AT&T to step away from consumer telephone service, the company is struggling to regain its swagger and is relying on new applications such as voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, to accelerate growth in its business segment. But opportunities in cellular phones, handhelds, notebooks and a wireless broadband technology called WiMax are helping the group.

The companies are also working on WiMax technology--a wireless broadband technology allowing several megabits of data to be transmitted over a radius of multiple miles. Intel has been a major promoter of WiMax and plans to produce chips, code-named Rosedale, for the wireless broadband technology starting early next year. AT&T has smart-antenna technology that could be used in WiMax products using Intel parts. Both companies are part of the WiMax Forum, an industry group aiding in the development and marketing of the technology.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Feature: Intel & AT&T Working on WiMax Technology

Convergence: A Reality For Today's Wireline And Wireless Markets

December, 2004, Convergence is a word that directly speaks to transformation, and change makes some carriers very uncomfortable. Yet, it is through converged networks that the new emerging business models can be supported. The bottom line is that the financial success and competitiveness of each and every carrier depends on these new business models, and that every carrier's financial health will be measured by how they achieve high margins from new services and cost efficiencies derived from migrating multiple networks to a converged core. If these things do not happen, the reality is that carriers will lose their customers to more agile and visionary competitors; competitors who are willing to test and trial new technologies, and who are willing to take risks in order to become tomorrow's market leaders. Companies trialing new technologies such as IP understand the value of access agnostic networks, which can provide fast, low-cost bundled services to consumers.

How can we be so sure that convergence is the answer? What have we seen in the industry to support the idea that IP technologies are necessary for carriers' future success? For starters, we have seen that wireline subscribers are replacing their wireline phones with wireless devices, and in many instances, these voice services are being provided through pure VoIP networks. It has also become quite clear that the definition of communications as we knew it is evolving. Communications has become more than a lifeline to consumers. The demarcation line that once existed between wireline and wireless services is currently being challenged. Today's consumers want to communicate with anyone, at anytime, from anywhere while using any device of their choice.

In summary, convergence today is not being driven by the technologies that are deployed in our networks but rather by the demands of consumers. Consumers are not concerned about how or where they get their services, but are more interested in where they are able to get the best price and performance. They look to issues such as; can their service provider offer them voice, data, and video services at economical prices? Can they receive one bill and can they call one number for support? The solution to these customer issues is simple, and migrating to converged network environments is the answer.

READ ENTIRE TMCnet.com Article: Convergence Driven by Consumer Demand - PROOF: Increasingly Voice Services Provided by Pure VoIP Networks

WiMAX to be 'Clear Winner' in Broadband Wireless

LONDON -- (EE Times)-- Dec. 7, 2004 -- WiMAX and other emerging high-speed wireless technologies will capture more than 40 percent of the wireless broadband business over the next few years, leaving 3G with less than 60 percent of the market in 2009, according to a just published report from TelecomView. The report suggests the new technologies provide significant opportunities for both incumbent and competitive carriers.

According to Bob Larribeau, the other author of the study and also a principal analyst at TelecomView, said: "In fact, the business case for WiMAX, in particular, is close to that for wireline DSL, which makes it an excellent broadband technology alternative."

READ ENTIRE TelecomView Study: WiMAX Provides Significant Opportunities for Both Incumbent and Competitive Carriers

TelecomView Study Finds WiMAX Will Horn In on 3G Data Market

SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 7, 2004 -- WiMAX and other new high-speed wireless technologies will capture more than 40 percent of the Wireless Broadband, leaving 3G with less than 60 percent of the market in 2009. These new technologies provide significant opportunities for incumbent and competitive carriers, according to TelecomView's new report, Wireless Broadband: Will it Replace 3G and Fixed Broadband. This report analyzes the market for Wireless Broadband through 2009 with an emphasis on how the increased performance of new technologies such as WiMAX and TD-CDMA (UMTS-TDD) will affect the market for 3G data services.

"Our forecasts show that WiMAX will be the clear winner amongst the new high-speed wireless technologies," stated Ian Cox, Principal Analyst at TelecomView and coauthor of this report. "WiMAX will pick up 70 percent of this new market segment by 2009 due to its higher performance and flexibility compared to the alternatives. 3G will be important for its mobility, but WiMAX will directly compete with DSL."

READ ENTIRE TelecomView Study: WiMAX will Directly Compete with DSL

IBM Aims to Bring Order to Chaotic Wi-Fi Revolution

December 2, 2004 - SAN JOSE, Calif.�IBM's goal in the burgeoning Wi-Fi industry is to help customers deal with the chaos arising from the explosive growth in demand for Wi-Fi access, said James Keegan, IBM's vice president for Global Pervasive/Wireless e-business solutions. Speaking at Jupitermedia Corp.'s Wi-Fi Planet conference here, Keegan said that to help make pervasive wireless computing a reality the computer industry has to work through the "chaos" arising from the challenge of integrating the diverse technologies required to slake the insatiable demand for new wireless services.

People around the world want to implement a dizzying array of wireless applications, including everything from Wi-Fi on high-speed commuter trains to having Wi-Fi Internet access along with their lattes at Starbucks Coffee. The problem is not that the technology isn't available to create these applications, Keegan said. The problem is that system architects haven't completely thought out how to assemble all the components that will support wireless applications that are reliable, effective and secure, he said.

"Our objective is to help you address these challenges and address the chaos," Keegan said. However, IBM doesn't pretend to have all the answers. It will take a diverse "ecosystem" of software, hardware and middleware producers to bring all the pieces together, he said.

Both consumers and the industry are trying to move toward the same goals, Keegan noted. They want nationwide Wi-Fi coverage with roaming capabilities just as they have with their cell phones. National media companies like Time-Warner Inc. and many other enterprises are looking for new ways "to deliver more content down to end users whether it is entertainment or in a pure data processing environment," he said. The users of a wide array of new devices, whether it is cell phones, handheld computers, laptops or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices, are competing for access and bandwidth on Wi-Fi networks.

READ ENTIRE eWeek Article: Wi-Fi Coverage with Roaming Capabilities Like Cell Phones

MobilePro Quietly Builds Wi-Fi/WiMAX Business

December 1 2004, - Company Goes On Spending Spree to Buy Smaller ISPs Around U.S. MobilePro is on a roll. Since receiving an infusion of $100 million in equity from Cornell Capital Partners in May, MobilePro has been quietly and quickly building a nationwide telecommunications service company through acquisitions targeting smaller, underserved markets in selective U.S. regions. Armed with valuable Wi-Fi/WiMAX assets and a focus on providing quality bundled services, it's a company to watch.

Based in Bethesda, MD, MobilePro is organized into three divisions. The roster includes: its technology division, which holds patents in ZigBee and 3G antenna technology; its Internet division, offering dial-up, dedicated and wireless Internet access; and its voice division, which holds CLEC licenses in 10 states and offers local, long distance and wireless service via UNE-P and resale.

MobilePro's strategy is to offer a nationwide business of bundled services to both residential and commercial customers in small and mid-sized markets. Today, 90% of its customer base is residential. But MobilePro is building a nationwide agent network to target the SME 4-20 line market, in recognition that the business market requires more face-to-face selling

READ ENTIRE CableDataComNews.com article: MobilePro Quietly Builds Wi-Fi/WiMAX Business

Wireless World: Mesh Network Mainstreaming

November 26, 2004, -A light goes out on a desolate street corner in Los Angeles -- one of 240,000 streetlights in that city. For decades, the only way city bureaucrats learned the bulbs were burned out was when they received a call -- some 500 a week on average -- from panicked consumers telling them there was an outage. No longer. A new wireless mesh network, linking the lights to computer servers, notifies managers at the city's bureau of street lights that a lamp went out on North Broadway or North San Fernando.

"An employee at his or her desktop can monitor and control the system," said Dave Schuellerman, a spokesman for General Electric's consumer and industrial products division. "It helps to make the maintenance and repair operations more efficient and it improves a city's ability to keep more lights on more of the time -- a factor that can make people and businesses feel more secure," he told UPI's Wireless World.

Technology companies from GE to Motorola are making mobile communications seamless across cities. Hot spots for wireless-fidelity networks are being transformed into hot zones covering entire metro areas. That is leading to the rollout of scalable broadband wireless networks. In the coming years, the trends could mean many major metropolitan areas will have wireless mesh networks that deliver not only data, but also video, voice and location monitoring services over the Internet.

The networks -- which originally were developed for military applications -- use a combination of technologies, such as WiFi and 802.11 a, b, or g, among others, to link wide areas wirelessly. The technology enables an ad-hoc approach to network development, utilizing older applications that already are in place, with newer ones that have just been developed.

READ ENTIRE UPI Science News Article: Wi-Fi Hot spots are being transformed into Hot Zones Covering Entire Metro ASreas

Wireless Mesh Networks Take Hold

Nov 22, 2004, - As wireless mesh networking gains increasing acceptance with municipalities and cost-conscious enterprises alike, companies such as Motorola Inc. and Nortel Networks Ltd. are readying more-advanced wares to support the technology.

Motorola last week, in a bid to better integrate Wi-Fi into broadband wireless offerings, announced the acquisition of software maker MeshNetworks Inc., whose customer base comprises mainly small municipalities. Motorola's initial focus will be on outdoor deployments, officials said. That effort mirrors work by Nortel, which last week announced a massive mesh network deployment in Taipei, Taiwan, with 10,000 wireless access points covering 170 square miles.

Mesh networks dynamically route packets from node to node. Only one access point needs to be connected to the wired network, with the rest sharing a connection over the air. The resulting network is less expensive than a traditional WLAN (wireless LAN).

"It costs me $500 every time I have to wire an access point," said Brad Noblet, director of technical services at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H., which is running a mesh networking trial with Intel Corp. "Mesh networking holds the promise of deploying wireless without having to worry about architecture planning."

READ ENTIRE eWeek Article: Wireless Mesh Networks less expensive than a traditional WLAN (wireless LAN)

Dual-Network Cell Phone Introduced in Japan

Nov 21, 2004, - TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's top mobile carrier has begun marketing a cell phone that can make Internet calls over Wi-Fi wireless networks in addition to regular ones. The dual-network N900iL phone from NTT DoCoMo can switch back and forth as needed.

It uses third-generation, or 3G, technology, which relays data at faster speeds than most cell phones in use today. When users are inside their office building and within reach of a corporate Wi-Fi system, the phone also runs Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. Such combined-network phones are still rare. Nokia Corp., the world's largest mobile phone maker, has said it is introducing such a handset next year.

READ ENTIRE CANOE article: Dual-Network Cell Phone also runs Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP on Wi-Fi system

SOFTBANK BB, Japan's "Yahoo! BB Phone" IP Telephony service and "Yahoo! BB Mobile" Wireless LAN Service

November 18, 2004 - Portal Software, Inc. (Nasdaq:PRSF) today announced that SOFTBANK BB Corp. has selected Portal's billing and Revenue Management solution as the core component for its overall billing infrastructure supporting all current and future communication services. SOFTBANK BB, Japan's largest broadband carrier, offers a wide range of services including "Yahoo! BB" service, a comprehensive broadband service boasting a subscriber base of 4.5 million. The offering also includes "Yahoo! BB Phone" IP Telephony service and "Yahoo! BB Mobile" wireless LAN service.

READ ENTIRE BUSINESS WIRE Article: SOFTBANK BB, Japan's Largest Broadband Carrier Selects Portal's Billing and Revenue Management Solution to Accelerate Services Growth

SBC Communications Selects Microsoft TV For Advanced IP Television Service

Nov. 17, 2004--SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced an agreement with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) to provide next-generation television services using the new Microsoft(R) TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform. The SBC IPTV deal with Microsoft, valued in excess of $400 million over 10 years, is the first of its kind for any U.S.-based telecommunications provider.

"Our service will change the way people experience TV. Finally, customers will watch what they want, when they want - from a virtually unlimited and interactive content selection," said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC Communications Inc. chairman and CEO. "We will deliver integrated communications and entertainment services to enhance the digital lifestyle of our customers."

SBC Labs has been testing an IP-based television service built on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform since June 2004. SBC companies and Microsoft will begin field trials in mid 2005 and plan commercial availability of the IP-based television platform in late 2005.

In the first quarter of 2005, construction is expected to begin on the SBC Project Lightspeed, the company's initiative to deploy fiber closer to customer locations to provide new, feature-rich, IP-based services, including IP television, voice over IP (VoIP), and ultra-fast Internet access. Project Lightspeed is expected to reach 18 million households by year-end 2007.

PTV Potential Offerings - The new service will enable a next-generation digital video entertainment experience not previously realized in the mass market. The solution will take full advantage of the SBC expanding two-way broadband network to offer new, innovative services beyond today's existing broadcast-oriented digital TV networks.

Additionally, by using IP technology to deliver video, voice, data and other advanced services and applications over a single network connection, the services may be accessed and shared via any number of IP-enabled household devices, such as TVs, set-top boxes, PCs, PDAs or phones. Microsoft TV IPTV Edition also provides a comprehensive security system including subscriber and end-to-end digital rights management technology to protect the content across multiple devices.

The IP-based TV service is planned to include instant channel changing, customizable channel lineups, video on demand, digital video recording, multimedia interactive program guides, event notifications, content protection features and more.

READ ENTIRE BUSINESS WIRE Article: SBC IPTV deal with Microsoft to Provide VoIP / IP-based TV Service

WiFi Mobile Chip is 'Threat to 3G'

November 17, 2004 - A new technology has emerged that might be a real competitor to 3G. Independent technology editor Charles Arthur writes: "Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) has developed a technology which, within a couple of years, should be widely available in mobile phones and handheld computers, and which will pose a serious threat to 3G services as soon as it arrives."

CSR (the original provider of Bluetooth chips for phones) has created a 802.11g Wi-Fi chip. The company plans to add this UniFi chip into next-generation phones so that when in a hotspot area (currently these can be found in airports, coffee shops, hotels and the like) the mobile would be able to access cheap, high-speed Internet at up to 54 megabits per second.

This would mean mobile's fitted with this chip would be able to stream video, download film trailers, buy music, and surf the Web. 3G can do this too, but its maximum data transfer speed is 384 kilobits per second - almost 150 times slower than Wi-Fi, explains Arthur.

READ ENTIRE Macworld Daily News Article: 802.11g Wi-Fi chip available in Mobile Phones and Handheld Computers

Motorola Buy Adds Heat to Mesh Networking

November 16, 2004 - (CNET News.com) - Motorola said Tuesday that it will purchase MeshNetworks, which makes equipment for mobile broadband and position location networks. That deal and an expected announcement from Nortel Networks suggest that the mesh-networking market is on the rise.

Mesh networks are ad hoc, decentralized networks. Creating wireless Internet access is cheaper with them because they use nodes that can communicate with each other to route traffic. Devices on such networks--Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, for instance--can communicate directly with one another instead of going through a main communications point such as a central hub. Decentralizing the network can cut deployment costs considerably.

Network equipment makers say a growing number of municipalities are using the equipment to make broadband available to residents. Universities are buying mesh network equipment to provide broadband, voice and video services to students.

"This space is heating up," Nortel Networks general manager Mark Whitton said. Motorola rival Nortel said it plans to announce on Wednesday a large sale of mesh-networking equipment to a customer in China.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Article: Motorola Buys MeshNetworks, which makes equipment for mobile broadband & position location networks

Wireless to Drive Internet Growth, Tech Leaders Say

November 15, 2004 - (Reuters) - Wireless services will lead the next growth phase of the Internet as venture capitalists who helped fund the early boom open their wallets again, industry leaders said on Monday.

One focus of the discussion was new ways to use wireless technology to expand the Web. Wi-Fi, the popular term for wireless high-speed Internet access over short distances, is gaining traction and other wireless technologies are in the works. "The interesting thing about wireless is what it can do to bring the rest of the world into the Web," Intel Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini said. "You can start to think about bringing this into rural markets."

Chief Executives John Chambers of Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , Eric Schmidt of Google and Terry Semel of Yahoo Inc. also pointed to Wi-Fi and high-speed, or broadband, Internet access as twin engines of growth for their companies and the industry.

READ ENTIRE Reuters Article: Wi-Fi & Broadband Internet Acess as Tin Egines of Gowth

FCC Chairman Michael Powell: "Streamlining Regulation of VoIP Companies is Key to Growth"

November 9, 2004 WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. regulators ruled Tuesday that providers of Internet-based phone call services fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, exempting them from some key regulation by states. VoIP technology shifts calls away from wires and switches and instead uses computers to convert sounds into data and transmit them via the Internet.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 in favor of Vonage Holdings Corp. of Edison, N.J., which had asked the agency to declare the company's product an interstate service, giving the FCC regulatory control. Vonage has been battling public utilities officials in Minnesota who want the company to register in the state as a telecommunications service, subjecting it to rate regulation and other state rules.

The FCC ruling applies to cable, phone and other companies offering an Internet phone service similar to the one Vonage provides. The decision does not, however, preclude states from imposing some taxes and fees. It also does not address access charges, which are fees paid to local phone companies for completing calls sent via the Internet to conventional phones.

Vonage also had asked the commission to certify it as an information service, instead of a telecom company. Such a move would have a profound impact on the industry because it would mean providers of Voice over Internet Protocol, known as VoIP, wouldn't have to pay the taxes and fees that traditional phone companies do. The commission did not rule on that request.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell said streamlining regulation of VoIP companies is key to growth of the fledgling industry.

READ ENTIRE Technology Review article: FCC Rules Internet-based VoIP Phone Services Not Subject to State Regulation

NextWeb Teams With Level 3 To Offer Wireless VoIP

Monday, November 08, 2004 - NextWeb Inc. and ISP backbone operator Level 3 Communications Inc. have signed an agreement that will enable NextWeb to offer voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to its customers. Under the deal, NextWeb will use core infrastructure services from Level 3, along with its (3)Tone Business platform for VoIP services.

NextWeb, a provider of high-speed data access services to small-to-medium business customers, plans to conduct market trials of the new VoIP service in the fourth quarter of 2004. The Fremont, Calif.-based WISP expects to roll out VoIP services in some of its markets by the first quarter of 2005. NextWeb is the largest WISP in California, with markets in San Francisco, Los Angeles/Orange and San Diego counties. It serves more than 2,000 business customers over its microwave network.

READ ENTIRE Broadband Wireless Business Magazine Article: Largest Wireless ISP in California markets Voice over IP on Wireless Network

Voice over Wi-Fi Ready to Emerge: study

Monday, November 08, 2004 - The conditions are right for the widespread emergence of consumer voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) products, reports ABI Research in a new study. In "Voice over Wi-Fi," ABI senior analyst, wireless connectivity Phil Solis notes that industry-wide initiatives have intersected with a push from equipment and IC vendors to deliver consumer-friendly VoWi-Fi products. Most significant are the creation of a Wi-Fi/Cellular working group by the Wi-Fi Alliance and the approval by the Unlicensed Mobile Access Consortium for seamless handoffs between cellular networks and Wi-Fi networks.

READ ENTIRE TechWeb Article: Conditions are Right for the Widespread Emergence of Consumer Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi)

Intel Backs WiMax Rollout in London

11/02/04 (The Business) - WiMax should terrify telecom operators because it will let users make free voice and video calls over the Internet using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). All the user needs is a small headset and a laptop. But soon the consumer will not need the headset or even the laptop to take advantage of free Internet telecom services. The U.S. chip making giant Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Latest News about Intel is sending clear signals that it intends to bankroll the early rollout of a revolutionary wireless Relevant Products/Services from Hewlett-Packard Mobility Solutions Internet technology called WiMax in locations such as central London.

WiMax is a development of Wi-Fi technology that allows laptop users to surf the Web and pick up e-mail without connecting to a cable while sitting in selected locations such as hotel lobbies, coffee shops and airports. But, unlike Wi-Fi, WiMax could extend broadband wireless Internet access over areas covering several square miles: it could be used to provide wireless broadband Internet access to entire urban areas.

Why WiMax should terrify them is that it will also allow users to make free voice and video calls over the Internet using software called Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). All the user needs is a small headset and a laptop. But soon the consumer will not need the headset or even the laptop to take advantage of free Internet telecom services. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Latest News about Motorola and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Latest News about Nokia have announced new phones available this year that will support Wi-Fi as well as the ordinary telecom networks.

Once WiMax takes a hold and handset makers manufacture phones that work on the new networks, consumers should be able to walk down the street making free phone calls to anywhere in the world. And then the mobile operators could see their voice and data revenues start to disappear down the same black hole of the Internet that is already beginning to drain the fixed-line operators voice revenues.

READ ENTIRE The Business article: WiMAX Allows Users to Make FREE Mobile Voice & Video Calls Over the Internet

Killer alliance for WiMAX - Intel & Craig McCaw's Clearwire

11/01/2004 - Two of the most powerful forces behind WiMAX, Intel and Craig McCaw's Clearwire start-up, have formed a partnership aiming to accelerate development of 802.16 networks. The two companies will work together on technology development and network deployment, and Intel's venture capital arm has made a "significant", though unspecified, investment in Clearwire.

McCaw set up Clearwire earlier this year with the aim of building a national broadband wireless network and, before the Intel deal, had raised $160m from private investors. Incorporated in the new company are the original Clearwire entity, which ran local services around Florida; NextNet, the pre-WiMAX equipment maker; and various spectrum holdings that McCaw has been buying up over the past year. McCaw expects to have live services in 20 US markets next year and is also looking to the European auctions of 3.5GHz spectrum to expand there for the first time. The first territory to go live was Jacksonville, Florida, last summer and next month this will be followed by St Cloud, Minnesota and Abilene, Texas.

Voice will be critical to the strategy. McCaw understands intimately how the cellular wireless market works, and argues that he can exploit this awareness at Clearwire, with the benefit of the cost savings that come from designing a technology from the ground up. "We know the cellular market very well and how 3G works," he told the CTIA conference. "Our partnership will show a definite cost advantage, since this is designed from the bottom up." Having helped set in motion the wireless revolution that disrupted wireline operators' voice revenues so badly, he is now poised to help repeat the exercise, this time challenging cellular and wireline with VoIP over WiMAX.

Though, of course, McCaw toed the WiMAX community line, insisting that the technology is complementary with 3G rather than disruptive to it. "No one technology wears out," he told the audience. "Look at Western Union. They're moving money for al-Qaida now." While talking up VoIP over WiMAX, he was careful not to take on the cellcos head-to-head � not yet at least. "The fairest way to run yourself out of business is to take on an incumbent with vast revenue and lots of customers. The question is how can we be different and not do what they are doing. We're targeting different markets," he said.

This is somewhat disingenuous. There are certainly markets where cellular will remain the best option for many years with its high mobility, extensive coverage and convenient handsets. However, the plum new revenue streams that the cellcos are targeting are well within WiMAX' grasp. Even if data users are prepared to accept the slower speeds of 3G compared to 802.16, they will force operators to respond to WiMAX' flat rate pricing, once they have been taught by Wi-Fi and broadband wireless that they do not need to stay within the operator walled garden any longer

READ ENTIRE p2pnet.net News Feature: Talking Up VoIP over WiMAX

Wi-Fi / WiMAX Broadband Wireless Threatens 3G Voice Ambitions

October 26 2004 (Wireless Watch) NEW YORK - Calculations of the threat to 3G revenues from broadband wireless have focused mainly on data, but as some 3G carriers put voice in a more central position in their strategies, they could find that route roadblocked too. The third generation UMTS and CDMA technologies may have been the first to promise both voice and broadband-class data on one network and device, but the emergence of usable VoIP over wireless has moved formerly data-only approaches into this space too. Roadmaps for data networks such as CDMA EVDO and 802.16e now feature VoIP, and now so does the plan for UMTS� dataonly strand, TDD.

3G can deliver voice for a quarter of the cost per minute compared to 2G and so operators are looking to cut their overall delivery costs as users move from 2G to 3G and to displace wireline voice revenues. The promise of this business model could be severely disrupted by VoIP over WiMAX, especially for operators like 3 that are now relying primarily on low cost voice minutes for growth. In the IP world, users will become increasingly accustomed to having cheap voice bundled into an overall flat rate package, and operator delivery costs will be even lower than for 3G.

Their current ARPU hopes from voice could be severely threatened by broadband wireless options as these become more seamless and quality assured than the current voice over Wi-Fi options.

READ ENTIRE Wireless Watch article: 3G Carriers Business Model could be Severely Disrupted by VoIP over WiMAX

Intel Takes Stake In Billionaire Craig McCaw WiMax Startup - Clearwire

October 25 2004 (BroadbandReports.com) NEW YORK - Chipmaker Intel today threw more weight behind the developing wireless broadband data standard known as WiMax by taking a stake in Clearwire, a wireless startup led by billionaire Craig McCaw. Intel did not disclose specifics of the investment, though it did say that the deal is part of its strategy to invest $150 million to encourage the development of wireless technology.

Intel sees WiMax as the technology that, when widely deployed, will be complementary to Wi-Fi, the wireless networking technology that is the underpinning of its Centrino chip platform for notebook PCs. Like Wi-Fi, WiMax offers the ability to connect notebooks and desktop PCs to fast Internet connections without the need for wires. But unlike Wi-Fi, which is limited to short distances, WiMax is intended to be a long-distance wireless connection, with one network access point covering several square miles.

McCaw said Clearwire has already turned on its service for trials in Jacksonville, Fla., and is ready to flip the switch on it in St. Cloud, Minn. and Abilene, Tex., next month. In August, the Kirkiland, Wash.-based Clearwire disclosed that private investors have invested $160 million in the company.

READ ENTIRE Forbes.com News article: Intel Takes Stake In Billionaire Craig McCaw WiMax Startup - Clearwire

DirecTV's Last Broadband Gasp

October 25 2004 (BroadbandReports.com) DirecTV has announced that the company will be facing a $1.6 billion charge, since they've decided to use their "Spaceway" Ka-band satellites for HDTV and other content, and not broadband service. When the Wall Street Journal hinted at such a move last May, DirecTV issued a defensive press release decrying the claims as inaccurate. Hindered by latency, satellite broadband service has long-been a choice for users with no other option; as America gets wired (or wireless, as the case may be), the demand for such services continues to dwindle.

READ BroadbandReports.com Discussion Thread: 'Spaceway' Satellites Not for Broadband Internet Access

WiMAX Vendor Shakeout in 2005, new Report from Heavy Reading Predicts

Thursday, October 21 2004 (Techdirt Corporate Intelligence) An overcrowded vendor segment, poised to deliver WiMAX broadband wireless systems by mid-2005, will face consolidation, according to a new report from Heavy Reading.

The report, "WiMax Reality Check," expects that "many smaller vendors may not survive long enough to reap the rewards of WiMax's arrival." The report sees pricing being a factor in knocking out future WiMAX equipment vendors, particularly for those with weaker financial positions.

WiMAX gear initially will be complementary to existing Wi-Fi and wireline DSL technologies, providing backhaul support to both, for instance. However, the report suggests that WiMAX could begin to displace cellular and 802.11 technologies toward the end of this decade, if equipment costs continue to decrease. WiMAX could compete with wireline technology in areas where copper infrastructure is being upgraded for DSL, the report suggests.

READ ENTIRE Broadband Wireless Business Magazine News article: WiMAX Vendor Shakeout in 2005, Report Predicts

WiMax Mobility Squabbles Become Public

Thursday, October 21 2004 (Techdirt Corporate Intelligence) For all the talk and hype about WiMax, it's been something of an "open secret" in the industry that Qualcomm has been pushing to delay, stall or derail mobile WiMax (802.16e) in any way possible, realizing that a mobile WiMax is more likely to represent a competitive threat to CDMA-based 3G technologies -- where Qualcomm licenses represent the necessary tollbooth. The lack of mobility in the coming version of WiMax is one reason my many are realizing the technology, while good for backhaul, is getting much more attention than it deserves. Well, now, Fujitsu has finally gone public in accusing Qualcomm of deliberately stalling mobile WiMax. What's amazing is that Intel hold back from making these comments themselves, though, they probably fear the inevitable Intel vs. Qualcomm articles that would appear like wildfire.

READ ENTIRE RCR Wireless News article: Fujitsu Charges Qualcomm with Deliberately Stalling Mobile WiMax

VoIP Unplugged as Wi-Fi meets Net Phoning

October 18 2004 (CNET News.com) Two major VoIP providers took steps Monday to further unwire Net-based phoning, traditionally a service tethered by wires.

Vonage, the world's largest commercial provider of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, and commercial hot-spot provider Boingo Wireless said they intend to co-market each other's services later this year. Meanwhile, Boingo said it is working with handset makers to integrate its software into Wi-Fi-ready phones. The announcements from Vonage and Boingo, and another Monday from Net2Phone, underscore the collision course of Net-based phoning and Wi-Fi, the popular wireless standards used to distribute broadband inside thousands of homes, retail outlets, restaurants and cafes, and in public areas.

Typically, VoIP subscribers use a wired phone line, whether a single home phone or any number of phones in an office setting. But many service providers see an opportunity to create wireless versions of their services using Wi-Fi, which, according to Pyramid Research, will have about 700 million users worldwide by 2008. Introducing the appropriate VoIP services and technology could turn hot spots into giant phone booths.

READ ENTIRE CNET News article: VoIP Services & Technology could turn Wi-Fi Hotspots into Giant Phone Booths

Russia gains largest Wi-Fi network yet and looks to WiMAX

Friday 15 October, 2004 (Techdirt Corporate Intelligence) Russia is to gain its largest Wi-Fi network to date through a project by MediaSeti, which also plans to incorporate WiMAX as it becomes available. The broadcaster will launch Wi-Fi networks in 45 regions, starting in the Moscow and St Petersburg areas, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Perm, Samara and Novosibirsk. It will extend the Unitline service to the full 45 regions within two years, making it the first federal broadband wireless service provider.

Russia is enthusiastically regarded by broadband wireless and cellular equipment vendors as its stabilizes economically and politically. It has huge growth potential in communications, some strong government technology programs and a highly educated and technically literate professional workforce. Internet penetration is currently only 15% in Russia, and lower in the associated CIS states, while penetration of all forms of telephone is around 25%. Telephone penetration is highest in Moscow, but still only 50%, 40% in St Petersburg and there are around 40,000 villages with no communications, according to UBS research.

Wireless ISPs and the government are showing strong interest in combining Wi-Fi and WiMAX in order to leapfrog some more advanced neighbors� telecoms systems and build a broadband infrastructure rapidly. One example is ComSet, which is rolling out hotspots and pre-WiMAX services around St Petersburg.

READ ENTIRE Rethink IT article: Russia gains largest Wi-Fi network yet and looks to WiMAX

SBC will use Wi-Fi Voice over Internet Protocol, or VOIP, Phone Service for Consumers

October 13, 2004 LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - SBC Communications Inc. will use its growing roster of public Wi-Fi access points as a springboard for Cingular Wireless services, including advanced phones and voice services using Internet technology. SBC Chief Technical Officer Chris Rice told Reuters in an interview at the U.S. Telecom Association trade show in Las Vegas that the company plans to use the popular Wi-Fi high-speed wireless technology to offer consumers phones that automatically switch calls between Cingular's network and SBC's Wi-Fi outlets by 2006.

Now, CTO Chris Rice says that Cingular will offer phones by 2006 that switch voice from Wi-Fi to cellular automatically. This kind of handoff will effectively Cingular more spectrum, as Rice puts it in this Reuters interview. Rice seems to be saying--as Carlo Longino points out--that the Cingular phones would use whatever SBC Wi-Fi was available, whether in private homes or at hotspots. That's a strange idea, but with 802.11e (quality of service) and Wi-Fi gateways that supported it, the Cingular phones could conceivably override a SBC's DSL subscriber's own data packets for priority! Very very odd idea, and we'll see if a clarification is made on that front.

Rice told Reuters that between SBC's own Wi-Fi network and the Wi-Fi equipment it sells to its high-speed Internet customers, it could cheaply extend the coverage of Cingular, its joint venture with BellSouth Corp. "As you get off highways and go to neighborhoods and homes, typically your cell coverage is not quite as good as when you're driving along the road," Rice said. "I can provide that kind of coverage by providing that connection to the broadband connection at home, or at the restaurant. "If I don't do that, Cingular's got to have a lot of spectrum," he added. "We found a way to offload that spectrum and provide the customer with a seamless solution, so they're not having to pay high-priced data minutes or high-priced voice minutes as they move between networks."

SBC will also use Wi-Fi as part of its launch of voice over Internet Protocol, or VOIP, phone service for consumers in 2005.

READ Reuters News Article: SBC to Use WiFi Network to Extend Cingular Reach

Fourth-Generation Networks Roll Out, WiMAX Could be the Preferred Choice

Tue Oct 12, 2004 � SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - At virtually every turn, Intel Corp. executives are heaping praise on an emerging long-range wireless technology known as WiMAX, which can blanket entire cities with high-speed Internet access. Just as Intel helped popularize Wi-Fi, a short-range technology now widely used in airports and in coffee shops, the world's largest chip maker hopes to usher in the "WiMAX era" -- using the technology to displace cable and DSL Internet access and segments of the cellular phone market.

Yet as it heads into turf fiercely protected by the telecommunications and cable industries, WiMAX is likely to gain little traction, at least for several years, analysts said. The demand it does find may come mainly from rural markets outside the United States. Market research firm iSuppli on Monday described a largely lackluster outlook for WiMAX, which it said is surrounded by hype and will likely fail to catch on beyond niche applications. Established broadband access providers see no reason to adopt yet another technology for delivering data at high speeds, the company said.

Cellular phone makers have invested more than $100 billion to roll out third-generation cellular networks, which can handle data at speeds suitable for games and video. By the time fourth-generation networks roll out, WiMAX could be the preferred choice.

"With a higher bandwidth capability than existing 3G cellular technologies and reach ... rivaling that of a typical cellular technology cell site, WiMAX has the potential to be adopted by wireless carriers as 4G data-centric technology," according to the iSuppli report.

READ ENTIRE Reuters.com article: Wi-Fi Successor Called High-Speed Hype, for Now

AT&T, Covad Close in on WiMax

October 8, 2004 � TAT&T has 8.5 billion reasons to embrace superspeedy WiMax wireless technology, says the carrier's chief technology officer. That's because $8.5 billion is the amount that Ma Bell pays other telephone companies for access to their networks, thus allowing it to provide communications services to customers.

Now AT&T has joined the growing number of carriers wowed by WiMax, radio technology that promises to deliver two-way Internet access at speeds of up to 75 megabits per second at long range. What has AT&T and others excited is the low start-up costs for WiMax. Typically, it takes $1,500 to lay underground fiber to a single home; the cost of a WiMax hookup is $75.

On top of a WiMax network, carriers could use voice over Internet Protocol technology to sell telephone services that are much cheaper than what traditional phone companies offer, Hossein Eslambolchi, AT&T's CTO, said at the just-concluded Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco. "We spent $8.5 billion on local access last year," Eslambolchi said. "I'm going to find any way I can to bypass that as fast as we can."

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com article: WiMax Network - Carriers Could Use Voice over Internet Protocol technology to Sell Telephone Services MUCH CHEAPER

Unified Smart Card Authentication for Wireless Networks

September 30, 2004 � The WLAN Smart Card Consortium has endorsed a new EAP-SC authentication type to serve as a unified secure point of entry for all IP wireless networks including Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Wi-Mobile, and their interconnect (IEEE 802.11, 802.16, 802.20 and 802.21). The new authentication type provides wireless clients as diverse as handsets, PDAs, PCs and other embedded systems with a unique way to access standard TLS authentication in a tamper proof form factor.

Additionally, the new EAP-SC type also offers access to GSM and 3G universal mobile standards with SIM and USIM authentication schemes. Taken together, the components of EAP-SC define the entrance into valued information networks, uniformly and in concert with the bearer.

"With one billion units sold each year, the smart card is the de facto standard for the networking world, and its entry into the emerging EAP standard of wireless access is the unifying proposition that the industry has been waiting for," said Guy Pujolle, Chairman of the WLAN Smart Card Consortium's Technical Committee.

READ ENTIRE Business Wire article: WLAN Smart Card Consortium Announces Unified Smart Card Authentication for Wireless Networks; IETF Internet-Draft Proposal to Define EAP Smart Card Authentication Type

WiMAX Takes Center Stage in the Push to Fuse the Fixed and Mobile Broadband Worlds

September 29, 2004 � WiMAX products will increasingly compete with existing landline broadband technologies and, as they mature, even mobile broadband technologies, according to the Yankee Group report, WiMAX Takes Center Stage in the Push to Fuse the Fixed and Mobile Broadband Worlds. DSL and cable penetration will continue to grow while WiMAX products push for certification, although an underserved market of 15% to 20% could exist without alternative solutions.

"Providers have found a sweet spot for broadband wireless access in the rural markets and as a T1 replacement service where the revenue justifies equipment costs," Schroth continued. "However, to increase mass-market appeal, costs need to come down. We don't expect to see significant price decline until 2006. Yet the largest impact on WiMAX market acceptance will be when silicon is embedded in portable devices, such as laptops, removing any upfront investment in CPE. This will likely happen in 2007 when 802.16e silicon is produced."

READ ENTIRE Business Wire article: Commercial Opportunity for WiMAX Driven by End User's Demand for Cost and Performance, Says Yankee Group

Is There a Killer App for 3G?

September 29, 2004 � (Reuters) -- Is there a high speed future on the cards when 3G just isn't fast enough any more? While O2 announced the launch of its 3G business service this week and while it may be able to differentiate itself with Wi-Fi, its 3G data services notch up precisely the same speed as all its rivals.

Is there a killer app for 3G? Video calling has issues to overcome before it can edge into the mainstream, Ridell said: "Video calling won�t take off until the interoperability is [guaranteed]. It might be a killer app."

READ ENTIRE silicon.com article: O2: The future's WiMax?

"Never Bet Against Mobility"

September 23, 2004 � Despite skepticism from the likes of Texas Instruments, this week�s Broadband World Forum in Venice, Italy, saw a number of industry experts expressing optimism over the growth of WiMax technology, especially in the European marketplace.

�According to a study by Juniper Research (Ltd.), only half of all households in Europe will have broadband access by 2008 due to poor or nonexistent cable infrastructure or high-speed line systems being too complicated or expensive to deploy,� said Andreas Greil, vice president of product management in the information and communication network division of Siemens AG. �There�s a huge opportunity for WiMax to fill this gap.�

Some, in fact, view WiMax not only as a wireless alternative to DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), cable and leased line services but also someday as a rival to mobile telephony. �Never bet against mobility,� said John Krzywicki, president of The Management Network Group Inc. (TMNG). �I estimate that a mobile solution for WiMax is only two to three years away.�

READ ENTIRE article by Michael Sciannamea: Despite Skepticism, WiMax Gaining Notice in Europe

US Telcos Turn To WiMAX

September 15, 2004 � The decreasing costs of WiMax will spur alternative telecommunications carriers to turn to the technology as a viable business model as early as 2006, according to research by US-based analysts META Group. Further cost reductions will accelerate WiMax deployment through 2007, creating a third legitimate option beyond traditional copper wires and voice over IP (VoIP) for local voice service. According to META Group analysts, the US telecoms regulator, the FCC, projects that local voice competition will take the form of �intermodal competition�, emphasising the battle between wireless and wireline carriers, and between DSL and cable broadband operators.The Group projects that WiMax will enable alternative carriers to regain a foothold in the market and offer consumers another service option..

�The economics of the �wireless local loop� will drive alternative carriers to leverage WiMax technology, resulting in enhanced competition in the consumer voice market,� says David Willis of META.

�Wireless economics have already proven true in mobile voice services, where the cost per line is 40 percent of the cost per equivalent wireline services. We expect these same economies to hold true in wireless data using WiMax.�

READ ENTIRE Reed Business Information article: WiMax will Enable Alternative Carriers to Regain a Foothold in the Market

Wireless Technology to Rival Cable

September 14, 2004 � (Reuters) -- An emerging wireless communications technology called WiMAX, which can blanket entire cities with high-speed Internet connections, will rival DSL and cable as the preferred way to connect homes and businesses to the Internet, says Intel Corp. "I think that WiMAX could be to DSL and cable what cellular was to landline (phones) not too long ago," Intel President Paul Otellini said at a technical conference hosted by the Santa Clara, California-based company.

READ ENTIRE CNN News article: Wireless Technology to Rival Cable

WiMAX: The Secret Ingredient

May 4, 2004 � US : From an operators' perspective, WiMAX, the new wireless broadband standard, can ease the financial burden of deploying and expanding a network. According to technology market research firm ABI Research, these cost advantages help both the smaller wireless internet service providers (WISP) and the larger, regional and national players. For smaller WISPs, lower cost equipment reduces the breakeven subscriber point for a new tower. For those with grander plans, the cost efficiencies brought on by the new standard will allow a company to cover more ground at less cost.

READ ENTIRE 3G article: WiMAX: The Secret Ingredient

The WiMax Race Begins

May 4, 2004 � Everyone's talking about the WiMax standard for wireless metropolitan area networks (wireless MANs) -- so much so that people forget that the technology, based on IEEE 802.16, isn't even here yet. The question for the companies planning to support WiMax is: who'll be first? For to the victor of that race go not only the potentially lucrative spoils of being first to market -- that company's product will become the "base station" on which all future WiMax products must to conform.

READ ENTIRE Wi-FiPlanet.com article: The WiMax Race Begins

IDT uses Wi-Fi to offer cheaper cell service

April 21, 2004 � Believe it or not, 43% of U.S. consumers still don't have a cell phone � many for budget reasons.

Now, long-distance company IDT is aiming at low- to moderate-income holdouts with a new breed of inexpensive service that offers mobile service but only in certain areas. IDT plans to introduce a semi-mobile phone service that works in areas equipped with Wi-Fi, a popular wireless technology linked to the Internet. The strategy could pose at least a modest threat to the big wireless carriers as it marries two hot new technologies: Wi-Fi and Internet-based phone service.

READ ENTIRE USA TODAY article: IDT uses Wi-Fi to offer cheaper cell service

Mesh: The Next Step for Wireless

March 29, 2004 � Mesh technology allows new wireless networks to be created, or existing WLANs to be extended, without needing a wired connection to each base station. Tech industry heavyweights such as Cisco and Intel believe mesh techniques are the logical next step for the wireless networks that are increasingly ubiquitous in offices, homes and public places. Mesh-enabled base stations are good at load balancing because they can choose the most efficient path for data. Industrial users can quickly deploy networks of sensors and controllers with embedded wireless mesh radios. "Unlicensed spectrum usage allows wireless networks to be everywhere, and mesh is one element to that larger revolution."

Some ISPs are looking to wireless last-mile standards such as WiMax to provide broadband in hard-to-reach areas, but Nortel argues its Wi-Fi-based mesh technology could be better suited. "In areas where DSL has not been deployed, this could provide broadband to 100-200 houses in a small village," says Zwinkels. WiMax would require special equipment at the user end, while with a Wi-Fi solution users could plug into the network with a standard PMCIA card.

READ ENTIRE ZDNet UK : Mesh Networks: The Next Step for Wireless

Intel: Wireless Evolution Under Way

Electronic News: What are the opportunities in this wireless communications decade for Intel?
Wi-Fi will be in everything. You look at the digital home and people putting it in set top boxes and digital media adapters. And WiFi is not just in the enterprise and the home but also in public hot spots. About every four seconds another public access point for Wi-Fi goes live. Then we see WiMax as the vehicle to really deliver broadband wireless data services initially to residences and 802.11 backhauls and businesses. But as it evolves it will actually be going mobile.

Electronic News: How is the economy going to affect this communication evolution?
Eric Mentzer, the Chief Technology Officer of INTEL Communications Group: Well, I'm not an economist; I'm a technical guy. But I think with that caveat I would turn it around and say this communications evolution will accelerate the economy. I really believe that the kinds of things that are deployed are things that can really help propel the economy.

READ ENTIRE Electronic News Interview: Intel: "This Wireless Communications Evolution will Accelerate the Economy"

Wi-Fi and VoIP: Is Sum Greater Than Parts?

March 2, 2004 � "Wi-Fi and VoIP are powerful technologies on their own," said Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless LANs at Infonetics Research. "But together they are far more powerful. It's sort of like adding one plus one and getting three." Experts say the marriage between VoIP and Wi-Fi is a natural one as companies look for a common infrastructure that will allow workers more flexibility in how they communicate. VoIP over Wi-Fi offers many benefits to corporate users, such as eliminating the need to use valuable cellular airtime within a campus network. What's more, many cellular phones lose their signal when inside steel frame buildings, so Wi-Fi phones would provide better quality of service and reliability. It's especially useful in vertical industries, such as health care, where cellular phones can't be used at all, because they interfere with certain machines.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com article: "VoIP over Wi-Fi offers Many Benefits to Corporate Users"

FCC's Muleta Sees Sizzling Future for Broadband Wireless
100 million U.S. Homes Hooked into Broadband Wireless during the Next 6 Years

March 1, 2004 � Muleta, appointed to his post in Jan. 2003 by FCC chairman Michael Powell, got the conference buzzing with a decidedly upbeat prediction that 100 million U.S. homes (and 150-to-200 million subscribers) would be hooked into broadband wireless during the next six years. Expressing a sentiment dear to the heart of Powell, Muleta noted that continued deregulation, less government interference and free market forces would combine to unleash the broadband floodgates by decade's end.

READ ENTIRE America's Network Weekly article: "There's a new dawn of opportunity for broadband wireless."

3G Lacks a Knockout Punch as Wi-Fi Wins Phone Fight on Points

February 29, 2004 � IN CANNES last week the promoters of two rival mobile phone technologies - 3G and wi-fi - were shaping up for a world heavyweight contest. The heads of the world�s most powerful telecoms operators and phone makers might have looked relaxed as they arrived at this beautiful French Riviera town for their annual jamboree. But that serenity belied a deep division over which system will dominate the industry in the coming years. The line separating the industry players who will rely solely on 3G and those adding wi-fi into their wireless mix has been drawn in the sand. The question everyone in the industry is asking is which system will win the title fight.

This year 3G does not have a prayer against wi-fi, but it could qualify for another shot at the title in a few years time. But by then wi-fi may already be the undisputed world champion for service providers and customers. Technical setbacks and associated delays in the rollout of 3G networks over the past two years left the field clear for wi-fi, which has become increasingly popular in the US, where PC and internet penetration is greatest, but where mobile take-up has lagged. This widespread adoption in the real world gives wi-fi more weight than the hypothetical appeal of 3G. 3G�s footwork has been slow, with its network rollout costing tens of billions of dollars and facing massive delays because of over-complex technology. It may never match the punching power of a simpler technology that can be deployed at a cost of $50 a base station.

READ ENTIRE Scotsman.com News article: "Even this Early in the Fight, Wi-Fi is the Winner on Points"

WiMax is Next Leap in Wireless World

February 29, 2004 � As the name suggests, WiMax is a bigger, more powerful version of its distant cousin Wi-Fi. WiMax, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, uses a technology that has been around for several years, called fixed wireless. In a typical system, a signal is broadcast from a tall tower and picked up by a smaller receiver at a customer location. The signal delivers a broadband Internet connection over a wide swath of land. The particular type of fixed wireless used by WiMax can send signals through walls and around barriers so the tower and receivers do not need an unobstructed path.

READ ENTIRE Knight Ridder article: "There are a Lot of Vendors Who Don't Want WiMax to Succeed"

Intel Corp: It will be a Requirement that Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G Coexist

February 25, 2004 � WiMax will become as important to consumers as Wi-Fi. That was the message of Intel Corp. at this week's 3GSM World Congress, one of the wireless industry's largest event. "There won't be a battle of competing technologies. It will be a requirement that Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G coexist; and that coexistence is going to enable a host of exciting new applications and business models."

"Imagine having a piece of WiMax silicon in your laptop