TDI Presentation "Riding the Wireless Wave -
Wireless 101"
This article is one of a continuing series from the biannual
conference hosted by Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI). The
presenter was Jerry Nelson, VP Strategic Solutions, Wynd Communications.
A little history: The first voice-only analog network premiered in
Chicago in 1978. The PCS digital standard was released in 1994. By 2000,
there were several air interfaces, and digital wireless had become a
mishmash of competing and incompatible standards. Until recently, the US
and Japan were the only countries that didn't use the GSM standard
exclusively.
People tend to think of wireless as voice only, but there is also a
data component and a video component. The voice component currently uses
the air interfaces we all know about - GSM, TDMA, etc. Currently in the
US, the data component tends to ride on Cellular Digital Packet Data,
which is the protocol used by Motient, Cingular, and WebLink. Third
generation (3G) systems will see the convergence of voice and data into
a single technology. We expect to see two competing protocols, W-CDMA
and CDMA2000. The 3G systems will be high speed (144K to 2Mbps), be
always on, and offer broadband data services.
There isn't much video on wireless phones yet, because it really
requires the 3G technology. Japan is a little ahead of the US, and they
have done some streaming video on wireless phones.
Not long ago, people were talking about 3G technology arriving any
day now. However, it now looks like it may be several years before this
new technology is generally available. Reasons for the delays include
the air interface standards battle, the postponement by the FCC of the
bandwidth auction, the magnitude of the required system upgrades, and
the lack of a "killer app".
There are currently about 85 million wireless voice customers in the
US. While this is a large number, the percentage of people with wireless
phones in the US continues to lag both Europe and Japan. Wireless
penetration in some European countries is about 60%, which the US isn't
expected to see until 2003. By 2004, 830 million people worldwide will
have wireless internet connections.
Some of the cool recent devices with text capabilities include:
Ericcson R-380 - This is a smart phone with a PDA-size screen, It has
handwriting recognition, wireless web access, and a touch-sensitive
screen. It supports GSM only and is not yet on the market.
Nokia 9210 Communicator - This is a large GSM phone with a PDA-like
color screen.
Handspring Visor phone - This is an enhanced PDA with a GSM phone and
SMS (Short Messaging System) capability.
Motorola Accompli 009 - This phone is available as dual-protocol (CDMA
and TDMA) or triband (which adds GSM capability). It includes a 2 way
messaging capability and a functional keyboard. It's not available yet.
Note that we do have GSM in the US. Unfortunately, it's only
available in about 25% of communities. So it's not a good solution for
people who travel, or don't live in one of the communities that offer
that protocol.
Q: Does Wynd intend to implement solutions that are J2ME-compliant?
A: No
Q: Wireless reminds me of the early telephone industry; there were
competing vendors, and you couldn't talk to people on other services.
When will wireless carriers get together so you can send messages
between different carriers?
A: As I mentioned, we have 3 different wireless internets - all are
incompatible. However, you can get things like email on any phone.
Q: Did you say that Mobitex has the best coverage here in Sioux
Falls? Who has the best coverage nationwide?
A: Reflex has the best nationwide, but the other 2 are not too far
behind.
Q: I use a 950, but I can't use it in the first floor of some
buildings. How can I solve that?
A: Coverage is the issue. The nature of the building and the terrain
affect the coverage. The only way to fix this is to add towers; they
cost $100K each, and they're only good for a 10 to 15 mile radius.
Q: I have a hole in coverage near my work. What can I do about that?
A: Some people have put an antenna up high and have amplifiers in the
building (like hospitals to ensure access for doctors).
