Wireless Infrastructure

Eight long hours

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

Everyone, it seems, noticed that during Hurricane Katrina, the cell phone system was gone with the wind (and the waves). In response to the experience of Katrina and a number of other natural and man-made disasters, the FCC has now mandated that all cell towers come with back-up power for at least eight hours of operation after the electric power distribution grid goes down. It's not as simple as just sticking a diesel generator at the foot of each tower--different towers have generation and storage requirements that range from hydrogen fuel cells to lead-acid batteries to diesel generators. While the requirements are different, the financial burden is estimated to be uniformly high, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 in additional costs for every cell tower in the U.S. That's a lot of money, whether it's being counted on grid or backup power.

For more on the new FCC requirements:
- Read the regulation analysis at WirelessWeek

Newest 3G: WiMAX

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

It's a common question that works to slow down adoption of new technology: Will the technology be adopted and become standard? In the case of WiMAX wireless networks, this week brought us closer to "yes." The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has adopted WiMAX as part of its 3G standards--an adoption that should make getting ready for WiMAX much more a strategy, and much less a gamble. The new high-speed, high-power wireless networking technology has already begun building steam in the market, and this news should make it pick up speed toward broad acceptance.

For more on the newest 3G standard:
- read the technology report at WirelessWeek

700 Mhz auction delayed

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

If the 700 Mhz wireless segment is half as active after it officially exists as it is now, there are great things in store for new wireless communication options. Computer industry giants like Microsoft and Google are squaring off against cell phone titans like Verizon and AT&T, with the FCC is caught in the middle. The latest? The FCC chairman Kevin Martin says the commission is not changing the rules at this point, but it is going to delay the auction by one week, just to make sure that everything is orderly. Stay tuned--there is certain to be more news before the auction gavel bangs down.

For more on the latest 700 Mhz news:
- read the full report at CIO-Today

Are we ready for WiMAX?

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Intel is pushing hard, and the rest of the hardware vendors aren't far behind. 2008 is, they say, going to be the year of WiMAX. I've seen a lot of these "Year of..." stories come and go and I'm not fully convinced that 2008 is going to be the year of anything. For just a moment, though, let's think about what happens if it is the year of WiMAX. That means that your company is likely to begin deploying WiMAX around the enterprise, and deploying WiMAX has some real consequences for your network. For example, if your company is like most, you're running 100 Mbit Ethernet to most desktops. WiMAX is roughly three times that bandwidth--is your backbone ready for the increased demand? You might also want to think about the applications that you'll be moving from cabled subnets onto your wireless network--is your infrastructure ready for the move? If it were me, I'd start acting like I believed all the hype about WiMAX, and would begin to make sure that my infrastructure is ready. There's little harm since most adaptation can come during the normal hardware life cycle. Start now, though, and you'll avoid the rush that's sure to come when your executives start reading about WiMAX and asking, "Are we ready?" -Curtis

WiMAX builds steam

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

It's time to get ready for WiMAX--at least if all of the activity from vendors around the world offers any indication. Intel has already announced that 2008 will be the year of WiMAX, and companies like Nokia and Siemens certainly won't disagree. Laptop and wireless device manufacturers are joining the phone and network infrastructure vendors in declaring that it's time for WiMAX. Watch for a huge wave of product announcements and service offerings as we head into the year-end holiday season.

For more on the future of WiMAX:
- read the industry analysis at CIO-Today

iPhone transforms AT&T network

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

The iPhone has certainly had an impact on customer's wallets, on Apple's Mac OS release schedule and on competitors like Nokia and Motorola. Now, it seems that the device has also had an impact on AT&T's cellular network. AT&T says that network upgrades go on all the time, but 20,000 new radios seems like a significant change for a single new device. The upgrades are having an impact beyond the iPhone, though--customer churn is low, and customer satisfaction is high. With results like these, the iPhone could prove important to AT&T for a long time to come.

For more on AT&T's network upgrades:
- read the business analysis at WirelessWeek

Nine wireless companies of the future

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

It's easy enough to pick wireless partners today: look for the big wireless service providers and major equipment vendors (with names like Motorola, Nokia, LG, or Samsung) and you can have a safe deployment history in most cases. What about companies for future partnerships? This article features nine companies you should keep on your radar screen. If names like a la Mobile, emoze, Formotus, and Kore Telematics aren't familiar, you have some homework to do.

For more on up and coming companies:
- read the in-depth report at NetworkWorld

Cheaper femtocells coming

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:57 -0400

You've been hearing about femtocells for a while and you should have paid attention: They're getting closer to technology that will work in your enterprise with the introduction of new chips that allow for cheaper 3G base stations. The idea of femtocells is that the repeaters will allow 3G coverage everywhere a wireless application is needed--even in buildings that might have poor reception. Cambridge Consultants, the firm designing the new femtocell base station, says that the new technology should bring the cost down to the point where carriers might include them with the purchase of handsets.

For more on low-cost femtocells:
- read the complete article at NetworkWorld

For more about WiFi femtocell alternatives:
- read up on solutions from T-Mobile and Sprint

The Wireless Beachfront

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

The FCC is getting ready to auction off access to a pleasant little strip of radio-frequency spectrum--think of it as the beach-front property of the wireless communications world. Some have said that this will be the last great spectrum auction of this generation, and companies like Google have certainly been acting as though that's true. With all you've read about open versus closed and the dangers of interference, do you really have a firm handle on what the spectrum is and, more important, can or can't do? This article provides clear, concise descriptions (and visual aids!) that should help set you straight.

For more on the upcoming FCC auction:
- read the in-depth report at WirelessWeek

700 MHz auction set for January 16, 2008

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:59:58 -0400

The date has finally been set: The FCC will auction the 700 MHz band currently used by analog television on January 16 of next year. That's the day that the wireless communications market gets a bit bigger as the most significant RF land rush since the original cellular phone auctions gets underway. The new band will be somewhat open, though not nearly as open as Google wanted. There are more questions than answers at this point, but at least the world knows when more answers will start to come.

For more on the FCC auction:
- read the news at NetworkWorld