Okay, we’ve gotten through the iPhone excitement and life is settling back down to the mundane activities
of expanding iPhone’s exposure to Europe and other countries, finding ways to unlock iPhone and Apple relocking and rendering unusable the iPhone. So, let’s move on to another area of
wireless that has demonstrated a much longer ramp up in enthusiasm but I believe is finally here: WiFi. It has been a subject in this column several years and is defined by
Webopedia – “Short for wireless fidelity and is meant to be used generically when referring of any type of 801.22 network, whether 802.11a, 802.11b, dual-band, etc.”
So, what is WiFi? If you want a quick reference on WiFi, how it works and building a wireless network, there are many sources available; but Marshall Brain and Tracy Wilson have a short article that gives a nice, easily readable review of WiFi. The following is some basic information from their
article:
- Communication across a wireless network being a lot like two-way radio communication. The wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and transmits it using an antenna. A wireless
router receives the signal, decodes it and sends it to the Internet using a wired connection. - Current WiFi transmits at frequencies of 2.4GHz or 5GHz. These higher frequencies allow the signal to carry more data.
- 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g all have various speeds associated with them. WiFi can transmit on any of three frequency bands or “frequency hop” rapidly between the different bands.
WiFi is now showing up everywhere. Airports, hotspots and hotels are just a few of the locations and organizations that are implementing WiFi capabilities. Hotel chains are adding WiFi access to
the growing demand for Web access. Wired or wireless, hotel residents are getting plugged into the Internet in their rooms or the hotel lobby. Most hotel chains are providing this service as part
of the room rate, but some are still charging a per day fee. Roger Yu, USA Today September 25, 2007 printed issue, wrote a nice article which reviewed the growing demands on hotel chains and their
scramble to provide access and bandwidth to travelers. I travel extensively, and I can tell you I only stay at hotels that provide quality WiFi access. Two suggestions for any organization
providing WiFi access – make the signal strong enough for quality access in my room, and don’t make me go through a browser to get access.
Now that we have a little background on WiFi, let’s talk about WiFi access at a municipality level. Sometimes called muni-WiFi. The muni-WiFi concept has a great foundation – provide
no-cost or low-cost Internet access within the municipal confines. Be able to go anywhere in the city, turn on your computer or laptop, and you are on the net. Sounds like a great business to
enter. Companies like AT&T, IBM, EarthLink, Clearwire and others have developed business models and implementation offerings geared to support and profit from the muni-WiFi/WiMAX market. Where
is the muni-WiFi world right now? Some successes, some failures and others somewhere in between. Let’s look at an example of each area of muni-WiFi.
Unfortunately, we are in the “early adopter” stage of muni-WiFi so there are examples of problems and unsuccessful activities. USA Today’s Judy Keen, in her September 20, 2007
article, wrote about “Cities turning off plans for Wi-Fi.” Important points from her article are:
- WiFi can help police, firefighters and inspectors access information quickly.
- Plans across the nation are being delayed or abandoned because they are proving to be too costly and complicated.
- Houston, San Francisco, Chicago and other cities are putting proposed WiFi networks on hold.
- Chicago couldn’t reach agreement with service providers after offering free use of street lamps for radio transmitters in exchange for a network build, owned and operated by providers
with no cost to the city. - Chicago decided that decreasing consumer demand and competition mean WiFi might not succeed without a big city investment.
- San Francisco hoped to provide free service for most users offset by ad revenue.
- Springfield wanted to give free service to low-income residents and charge everyone else competitive rates. It is looking for another partner after AT&T dropped WiFi plans.
- St Louis is trying to figure out how to power WiFi transmitters on 1,700 street lights when they are not illuminated without spending millions of dollars.
- Cincinnati shelved its plan for a city-wide network because the market is too unstable.
There are emerging examples of successes in municipalities.
- Minneapolis is installing its system in phases. By next year, Oakland County in Michigan plans to offer WiFi to 400,000 customers.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan, will have a fully standardized mobile WiMAX (we’ll discuss WiMAX again in a future column) network run by Clearwire by the end of 2007. (Note – WiMAX is a
wireless system based on the IEEE 802.16 standard that can provide broadband wireless access up to 50 miles for fixed stations and 3 – 10 miles for mobile stations.) - Greensboro, NC, has a WiMAX network where they were able to do streaming video while driving at 70 miles per hour. Greensboro was focusing on WiFi until it reviewed WiMAX and indicated that
WiMAX performance was a key element in a move to WiMAX. - Sprint recently showcased its Xohm WiMAX service in Chicago. Some analysts were able to experience functionality and applications such as video streaming, VoIP calls and MobiTV during a river
cruise and while driving at over 50 miles per hour.
Where does this leave the world of municipalities and WiFi? In my opinion it comes down to some tried and true elements of success. There needs to be adequate demand on the consumer side and a
profitable business model on the business side. Early adopters need to think in a phased approach. Think out of the box. Maybe a hybrid WiFi and WiMAX solution is the key. Hey, this sounds a lot
like technology convergence. We discussed that back in the July 2004 column. I believe convergence is an evolutionary fact that will continue to guide our present and future.
I would like to end this column with a peek into the future. Where will you be and what will you be doing on February 19, 2009? If the current timelines hold, a dramatic point along the analog to
digital continuum will occur. Kim Hart had a great description of this unprecedented event in a September 29, 2007 article – “..at midnight February 17, 2009, stations will drop the
analog signals that have been standard since the dawn of broadcast television in the 1930s. The switch of such a mainstream technology is unprecedented, and it’s the biggest change for the
broadcast industry since the advent of color television.” No wonder the sale of digital TVs has nearly tripled since 2005. Sounds like our old friend technology convergence at work again, but
that is the topic for another future column.
Factoid: UK mobiles are highest text users in Europe
According to a recent report from
media agency Universal McCann, mobile users in the U.K. send more text messages than mobile users in any other country in Europe. The average U.K. mobile user sends 100 texts each month, the survey
of 10,000 mobile phone owners found. Germans claimed to send an average of 65 texts a month. Both the U.K. and Germany send more texts per month than the U.S., where the average user only sends 32
texts per month.
Factoid: Mobile Ad Audits
A new article by Brad Smith, WirelessWeek September 19, 2007, discussed mobile ads and an audit recently
completed by M:Metrics. “The advertising industry may be interested in getting their ads on phones, but they also want to know that the ads are being seen by their target markets. That kind
of personalized advertising is one of the biggest attractions of the mobile phone.
Mark Donovan, a vice president with the research company M:Metrics, says information about consumers’ use of mobile websites is vital to advertisers. That’s why M:Metrics has developed technology
to audit these websites, so advertisers can place their ads more appropriately.
M:Metrics recently used its audit capabilities in research it did with the mobile advertising company AdMob and the 2,000 sites it serves. A report on the research, recently released, shows that
about two-thirds of the people who view mobile ads are in the desirable 18- to 34-year-old age group, Donovan says.
The auditing process, which is done by surveying visitors to those WAP sites, also provides more granular information about those visitors, he says. That includes ethnicity and sex.
The study found that sites targeting African-Americans have an audience composition of more than 50% of that ethnic group, even though the group makes up just 6.3% of mobile users. Similar findings
were discovered for sites aimed at females, Hispanics and other profiles, Donovan says.
Omar Hamoui, CEO of AdMob, said in a statement that audited information means advertisers can reach their target audience with greater accuracy.”
“By working with M:Metrics and leveraging our vast network audience across the site, carrier and handset level, we now enable advertisers to target their buys in ways that they have come to expect
with traditional Web advertising,” Hamoui said. “Most importantly, they can reach their audience on the mobile Web with scale.”
“Donovan says the M:Metrics auditing technology will be offered to other mobile advertising companies and could be valuable to aggregators and even specific WAP sites.”
Results of the AdMob audit:
Factoid: Thumbplay’s Top Five
September 20, 2007: Kanye West tops the charts again with “Big Brother” which is an official tribute to mentor Jay-Z.
Courtesy ofThumbplay
If you have a question pertaining to a wireless topic or digital living that you would like to ask or share with our readers, send me an e-mail at RDominko@ciber.com and I will update everyone in a future column.
Wireless Nuggets of Knowledge
Following are a few interesting articles and discussions on wireless and digital living:
Wireless Week News – September 20, 2007
Vodafone and Verizon Wireless Looking to 4G
Vodafone and Verizon Wireless are looking into coordinating future 4G network technology, allowing mobile users to easily roam across each carrier’s network. Both companies are involved in
Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology development and it seems that would be the most likely chosen platform.According to a report in Reuters, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin and Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg both told a Goldman Sachs investor conference that they were planning to use the same
technology for the next overhaul of their wireless networks.Although Vodafone owns a 45% stake in Verizon Wireless, the two use incompatible technologies; Vodafone uses GSM and has built its 3G network using HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology,
while Verizon Wireless uses CDMA and has built out its 3G network using CDMA EV-DO Rev.A.Adopting the same network technologies going forward would mean users could easily roam between networks and the two could collaborate more on ways to cut costs when it comes to large scale
upgrades and maintenance issues.According to the report in Reuters, Sarin said, “It makes complete sense for us to go from HSDPA to LTE, and it makes sense for Verizon to go from EV-DO to LTE,” adding that it would be several
years before LTE could be deployed, however.To read more, click here.
FierceMobileContent – September 20, 2007
NBC debuts free digital download services
NBC Universal announced it will offer consumers free digital downloads of many of NBC’s most popular programs immediately following an episode’s broadcast debut. The service, dubbed NBC Direct,
will launch in November following an October beta trial, and arrives on the heels of NBC Universal’s decision to withdraw its programming from Apple’s iTunes digital service, an alliance that
splintered over Apple’s pricing policies as well as piracy concerns.With NBC Direct, consumers may download programs like Heroes, The Office and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the evening an episode is broadcast – each file will remain available for
viewing for seven days and will include commercials. The files will not be transferable to disc or another device and will degrade after the seven-day viewing window closes. “Kind of like
Mission: Impossible, only I don’t think there would be any explosion and smoke,” said NBC Universal Television Group president Jeff Gaspin in an interview with The New York Times.At launch, NBC Direct content will be downloadable only to Windows-based PCs, but NBC said will soon make the service available to Mac units, iPods and other portable devices. Sometime in
mid-2008, NBC will release premium episode downloads that consumers would own – these files may also be transferred to other devices.To read more, click here.
FierceBroadbandWireless – September 20, 2007
Sprint plans WiMAX push in the enterprise
Will Sprint put a big dent in the market for fixed-mobile-convergence in the enterprise? The operator has revealed it plans to work with enterprises on the rollout of its WiMAX network, enabling
businesses to install femtocells inside their office environments and take advantage of automatic roaming onto the carrier’s
WiMAX network outside.The advantage for enterprises, said Atish Gude, senior vice president of mobile broadband operations at Sprint, is that the service will be similar to WiFi but more secure and with easy roaming
onto a carrier network. Sprint has issued RFPs for WiMax femtocells, and the carrier expects large enterprises to buy and deploy femtocells for consistent coverage across their offices and
campuses, maintaining control over them as they do with current WiFi networks.To read more, click here.
FireceMobileContent – September 19, 2007
Google now mulling 3G for gPhone
Although Google remains mum on the subject of its much-rumored branded handset, Digitimes reports the search giant is in the process of finalizing the device specifications, operating system,
manufacturing contractor and operating partners, citing sources inside the Taiwan handset maker community. While most insider buzz has speculated the so-called gPhone will boast an EDGE solution
developed by Texas Instruments, Digitimes says Google is now mulling a 3G handset with a chipset developed by Qualcomm. However, should Google opt for the 3G option, the change in
platforms and related licensing issues would likely delay the gPhone launch until the first half of 2008, as opposed to its anticipated late 2007 debut. HTC is tipped as Google’s manufacturing
partner, thanks to its expertise in ODM and brand business as well as its carrier relationships. Digitimes adds Google is still considering development of its own OS.To read more, click here.
WirelessWeek News – September 18, 2007
Sprint made significant changes to its location-based search offerings
Sprint made significant changes to its location-based search offerings today in a partnership with Microsoft. The deal adds voice search through Microsoft’s acquisition earlier this year of
Tellme, as well as full Internet search capabilities.Sprint also is making the search technologies available at no additional cost to subscribers. Advertising will be included in some search results, based on the keywords used in the query,
according to spokesmen for Sprint and Microsoft. Mark Chan, senior product manager for mobile search for Sprint, says the ads will be included at the bottom of a list of results. Subscribers can
click on the ad to get more information.“The number of ads have been limited to date because we don’t want to bombard users,” Chan says.
Another wrinkle in the location-based search service is that it does not use satellite signals to pinpoint a user’s location, instead using network-based information. That gives a less specific
location but does open up the location to any phone instead of just those with satellite GPS capabilities. It also provides location when the handset is inside a building.To read more, click here.
DailyTechRag – September 27, 2007
Sprint’s Xohm: No contracts, no subsidies
Given the descriptions of Sprint’s Xohm demos that we’ve been hearing, it sure seems like the company’s forthcoming WiMAX service is going to be in a league of its own. If Sprint makes good on
its promises, however, Xohm just might distinguish itself from the competition in a number of other ways. First off, Sprint has announced that it is eschewing the usual service contract/subsidy
model with Xohm: the service will be provided sans contract, though devices will not be subsidized. What’s more, the Xohm network will be open to any and all devices, not just Sprint-branded
gear – including digital audio players, cameras and just about anything else you can think of. Boy, this is really starting to sound like a mobile version of a traditional
broadband service, eh? As if to drive that point home, the company has stated that it plans to price Xohm competitively in relation to traditional DSL and cable services, though it stopped short
of announcing actual pricing. From the sounds of it, Xohm is really pushing to set itself apart from the existing wireless networks – let’s just hope that device manufacturers decide to
embed those WiMAX chipsets.To read more, click here.
Wireless Week News– September 27, 2007
Sling Media Partners with Nokia to take TV Mobile
Sling Media, a digital lifestyle product company, announced that its SlingPlayer Mobile software is now available in the U.S. for select Nokia Nseries and Eseries devices, including the just
released U.S. HSDPA version of the Nokia N95.SlingPlayer Mobile gives Slingbox owners the ability to watch and control their home TV from a network-connected mobile phone. For a limited time, Sling Media is offering Nokia N95 current and
future handset owners in the U.S. a discount on Slingbox AV. In addition, all U.S. Nokia N95 customers will receive a free version of SlingPlayer Mobile (a $29.99 value).SlingPlayer Mobile promises consumers their entire home TV experience on a PC, Mac, Palm OS, Symbian OS or Windows Mobile-based devices via Internet connections worldwide. With SlingPlayer
Mobile, users can also control their home DVR to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind and fast forward, or even program new recordings while on the road.To read more, click here.
FierceMobileContent – September 27, 2007
Verizon Wireless reversed policy on test messages
Verizon Wireless announced a reversal in its corporate policy on text messaging a day after rejecting a request from non-profit group Naral Pro-Choice America to distribute an abortion rights
text message program via the operator’s national network. According to the New York Times, Verizon initially rejected the program, which enables consumers to subscribe to Naral updates and
alerts via short-code – in copies of communications supplied to the NYT by Naral, Verizon told the organization it does not accept programs “that seek to promote an agenda or distribute
content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users.”But Thursday morning, Verizon Wireless issued the following press statement attributed to spokesperson Jeffrey Nelson: “The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though
sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect, and we have fixed the process that led to this isolated incident,” the statement reads. “Upon learning about this situation, senior Verizon
Wireless executives immediately reviewed the decision and determined it was an incorrect interpretation of a dusty internal policy. That policy, developed before text messaging protections such
as spam filters adequately protected customers from unwanted messages, was designed to ward against communications such as anonymous hate messaging and adult materials sent to children. Verizon
Wireless is proud to provide services such as text messaging, which are being harnessed by organizations and individuals communicating their diverse opinions about issues and topics. We have
great respect for this free flow of ideas and will continue to protect the ability to communicate broadly through our messaging service.”To read more, click here.
FierceMobileContent – September 25, 2007
The New York Times lists real estate on mobile
The New York Times announced a new mobile service bringing to handsets listings and information from the newspaper’s Real Estate section. Mobile users may now send and receive detailed
property listings regardless of whether their property search began in print, online, or on the NYT‘s mobile real estate site. Searches span more than 350,000 property listings, broken
down by their New York Times listing ID or by neighborhood, price or number of bedrooms. The mobile site also features complete property information, rich graphics and mobile-ready
features, such as click-to-call. Classified advertisers who sign up for print-to-mobile features will also receive a text code next to their newspaper listing, alerting users to text the listing
to their handset to view full details and photos. In the weeks ahead, the publication will introduce mobile real estate alerts delivering information and updates based on individual user
criteria.To read more, click here.
FierceDeveloper – September 25, 2007
Developers at work on Google gPhone applications
Still waiting on official confirmation on Google’s much-rumored gPhone handset, but BusinessWeek checks in with insider dish that mobile software firms are reportedly developing
services and tools earmarked for the search giant’s wireless OS. According to BusinessWeek, the gPhone hopefuls include mobile widget service provider Plusmo, speech recognition software
developer Nuance Communications and text messaging provider 3jam, all of whom declined comment. The gPhone platform is expected to include the Google mobile OS, mobile versions of existing Google
software, and built-in developer tools. Google is also expected to reveal much of the gPhone API to further galvanize third-party application development.To access, it click here.
FierceBroadbandWireless – September 24, 2007
Yankee Group: FMC marketing must change
According to Yankee Group research, enterprise adoption of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) remains low, with only 2 percent of large enterprises in Europe deploying FMC and even fewer in the U.S.
and Canada. The firm says competition from alternative mobility initiatives, technological immaturity and reduced priority placed on voice communications by IT decision-makers have contributed to
the low adoption rate. In addition, 29 percent of large enterprise IT decision makers surveyed in the U.S. consider the technology “nice to have,” but not a “critical” application on their
IT/networking road map.As such, Yankee Group says these statistics don’t bode well for FMC in the form that carriers are marketing it. Carriers are pushing the idea that FMC can reduce costs for the enterprise. Yankee
Group recommends that the focus needs to shift from cost reduction to an emphasis on productivity.To read more, click here.
eWeek Mobile and Wireless – September 26, 2007
Google’s push into wireless networking has equipment providers salivating
The way the Federal Communications Commission is conducting its upcoming auction of portions of the 700MHz radio spectrum is not unlike the Wild West: it’s wide open and anything could happen.
With talk of Google entering the bidding, wireless network equipment providers are salivating at the prospect of a potential nationwide buildout of a brand-new network. But what form that network
would take, how widespread it would be and which company Google would choose to partner with to build it are far from clear.“The idea behind auctioning off the spectrum is, ‘Let’s get creative,'” said Craig Mathias, principal at wireless consulting company Farpoint Group in Ashland, MA. “Someone is going to make
a lot of money on equipment, but we don’t know who that is.”Most observers agree that Google would most likely look to build out a broadband wireless infrastructure, which better fits its business model and is an area that remains underserved in the
United States.“Why is Google doing it? Because they are frustrated,” said Frank Dzubeck, president of consulting firm Communication Network Architects. “One of the things impeding their growth is a lack of
mobile broadband capacity. The technology is available, but they don’t see fast-enough.To read more, click here.
FierceIPTV – September 25, 2007
NBC does downloads
NBC will launch a website next month for downloads of its lineup. NBC Direct, which currently offers full-episode streams of 30 Rock and Heroes among others, will feature
downloads of those shows plus a heretofore glaring omission, The Office.The downloads will have a DRM (digital rights management) license that expires in a week. A subscription service will eventually allow for automated downloads of favorite shows.
The beta launch will be for Windows PCs only, in what appears to be a continued snit with Apple over the network’s exit from iTunes. NBC’s dissatisfaction with the iTune pricing model coincided
with the launch of its own online distribution initiatives. Given the buffering freeze-ups inherent in streaming high-bandwidth video, downloads are the obvious alternative.To read more, click here.
FierceWireless – September 28, 2007
Disney Mobile shutters its doors
Another one bites the dust. The Walt Disney Company announced today that it is closing the operations of its Disney Mobile MVNO, which launched early last year. The company shut down its other
MVNO, Mobile ESPN in September 2006, a mere eight months after it launched. Disney Mobile commercially launched in June 2006. While the financials surrounding the Disney Mobile closure have not
been disclosed, Disney said it had invested $150 million into Mobile ESPN prior to its closure, and the closure cost an additional $30 million, according to a report in the Wall Street
Journal.Disney Mobile offered branded services to both kids and their parents. While the kids enjoyed various Disney-themed services, ringtones and games, parents were given advanced monitoring tools
like a GPS-enabled Family Locator. Like Amp’d Mobile before it, Disney plans to offer some of these mobile applications through other carriers. Disney already has such a deal in place with
Verizon Wireless through its Mobile ESPN brand.Disney’s decision comes after Amp’d Mobile’s bankruptcy filing earlier in the year, but just one week after SK Telecom invested an additional $150 million in its MVNO, Helio, to keep it
afloat. SK co-owns Helio with Earthlink, but Earthlink did not opt to invest in Helio this time around.To read more, click here.
Wireless Info Center
Looking for a job in wireless? Here are some sites to check out what is available:
Jobs from FierceWireless 09/21/2007:
Senior Application Engineer, Murata Electronics, Dallas, TX
Marketing Manager/Marketing Director, Mobile Business – Keynote Systems, Inc.
Director of Training, Wireless Toyz, Farmington Hills, MI
Technical Product Manager – Tekelec
Sr. Applications Engineer, Wireless Modules – Murata Electronics North America
Here are some free articles to download:
Creating Effective Enterprise Wireless Plans
Raising RFID Value & Performance with Forklift-Mounted Readers
Integrating Mobile Access into your VPN Environment
Boosting Business Development with Citywide Wireless Access
Washtenaw Wireless – Building a Wireless County
The Solar-Powered Alternative in Broadband Wireless Networks
Developing Flash Lite apps for BREW on Verizon Wireless
A guide to determine TCO of wireless networks
Here are some upcoming conferences that you might find interesting:
Mobile Web Americas Conference and Expo: October 2 – 4, Orlando, FL
Broadband World Forum Europe 2007: October 8 – 11, Berlin, Germany
Mobile Marketing Forum: October 9 – 11, Barcelona, Spain
2007 Texas Wireless Summit: October 18 – 19, Austin, TX
INTEROP New York 2007: October 22 – 26, New York, NY
CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment: October 23 – 25, San Francisco, CA
Wireless Voice 2007: A Clear Vision for Voice Services: November 13 – 14, San Francisco, CA
Mobile Broadband Americas: November 14 – 15, Miami, FL
Mobile WiMAX The Global Congress: November 28 – 30, Cannes, France
Mobility World Congress & Exhibition: December 4 – 6, Hong Kong
Here are some other articles that you might find interesting:
TI’s mobile phone projector really works
Researcher Publishes Apple Wi-Fi Exploit Details
Intel has new ideas for mobile computing
Alaska Airlines to Test In-flight Wi-Fi
V Cast Mobile TV unveils fall
programming slateGofresh debuts mobile social advertising network
Rumored Samsung i780 is a “Treo killer”
iPhone’s Impact on AT&T’s Network
Verizon Wireless debuts Mobile Web 2.0 redesign
Motorola Demonstrates World’s
First WiMAX 802.16e Mobile Handoffs in Downtown Chicago
Here are some resource links to mobile and wireless info areas:
Lexmark Resource Center on PCWorld.com
Computerworld Mobile & Wireless Knowledge Center
SearchNetworking.com Wireless LAN Info Center
Nokia Mobility Resource Center
eWeek Mobile and Wireless Center
Intel – WIMAX Broadband Wireless Access Technology Website
Looking for a Wi-Fi hot-spot? Use eWEEK.com’s Hot-Spot Finder
