Commentary: Are 3G-WiFi Bridges an Alternative to Deploying City-Wide Wireless Networks?

You might have heard that Autonet Mobile and Avis are partnering to offer WiFi Internet access to car renters via 3G-WiFi bridges installed in Avis rental cars. The bridge provides a WiFi hotspot inside and within approximately a hundred feet of the vehicle, making the automobile a highly mobile hotspot. The bridge also connects to a cellular provider’s 3G network, You might have heard that Autonet Mobile and Avis are partnering to offer WiFi Internet access to car renters via 3G-WiFi bridges installed in Avis rental cars. The bridge provides a WiFi hotspot inside and within approximately a hundred feet of the vehicle, making the automobile a highly mobile hotspot. The bridge also connects to a cellular provider’s 3G network, which supports connections to the Internet. This is a great application for car renters. For example, a passenger might need to download an important file while traveling to a meeting. It can also lead to use of location-based applications when combined with a GPS. As a frequent travel, I think that what Autonet and Avis are doing is a great idea.

Are there benefits, though, for municipalities using 3G-WiFi bridges as an alternative to deploying wide area wireless systems, such as WiFi mesh networks or mobile WiMAX? The 3G-WiFi systems seem fairly easy to implement. Just plug in the bridge, subscribe to a service provider, and you have a WiFi hotspot virtually anywhere your vehicle goes. For example, with this system, building inspectors in the field can update centralized records via the network and make phone calls via wireless IP phones. So far, this approach sounds pretty good.

The use of 3G-bridges instead of deploying a city-wide wireless network, however, would restrict use of wireless applications to those within close proximity to a vehicle. It would likely work well for the building inspector, but this system alone would preclude operation of other common distributed municipal applications, such as wireless traffic light control, meter reading, and general public access.

Also, a municipality could alternatively equip employees working in the field with 3G smart phones that operate from just about anywhere (far away from any vehicle). This significantly widens the coverage area where users can roam as compared to the use of 3G-WiFi bridges and furthermore eliminates the need for purchasing bridges for the vehicles. Of course with this approach, though, there may be costs associated with purchasing the smart phones and refining the associated user interfaces to fit within the smaller displays on the smart phones.

There are certainly pros and cons of implementing 3G-WiFi bridges for municipal applications, and municipalities should carefully analyze existing and potential applications before making a decision on which solution to implement. The use of 3G-WiFi bridges may offer an effective initial solution, but the deployment of a city-wide wireless network will likely be highly beneficial to support a greater number of applications.

Posted by Jim Geier

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Jim Geier is an independent consultant and founder of Wireless-Nets, Ltd (www.wireless-nets.com), a consulting firm assisting municipalities, enterprises, hospitals, airports, and equipment providers with the development and deployment of wireless networks. Jim is the author of several books, including Deploying Voice over Wireless LANs (Cisco Press), Wireless LANs (SAMS), Wireless Networks – First Step (Cisco Press), Wireless Networking Handbook (Macmillan), and Network Reengineering (McGraw-Hill).

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