Muni Wi-Fi drives Internet everywhere trend
A recent New Scientist article says that muni Wi-Fi in the US is off to a bad start. The article bases its conclusion on a few delays in major cities such as Philadelphia and San Francisco. The truth is more complicated but the mainstream press like to reduce complex issues to sensational screaming headlines.The New Scientist posted an article on 24 June 2007 entitled American Wi-Fi gets off to a bad start. What led the author to this conclusion? A few delays in Philadelphia and San Francisco, the latter, largely political; users finding it difficult to get an Internet connection; and higher than expected cost of deployment.
The article completely ignores the fact that for the past four years, municipal wireless networks have provided broadband connections to communities that otherwise would still be on dial-up service and that the municipalities are using them for public safety and other government applications, topics that are not sexy enough for the mainstream press to write about.
The reality is complex and more exciting.
The New Scientist article points out correctly that people are upset when they can’t get access to the city’s Wi-Fi network inside their homes and offices, and when they can get it everywhere. Google search, maps, online webmail, and other applications are just so useful to people that they want it everywhere. The “failure” of municipal wireless is that the providers are not deploying fast enough to meet the demand.
And that demand will continue to grow. I believe that the launch of the iPhone is a breakthrough event. Watch the video reviews by David Pogue and Walt Mossberg. Finally, here’s a device that makes web browsing everywhere a true delight.
Mossberg and Pogue love the Wi-Fi functionality of the iPhone and hate AT&T’s EDGE network (Pogue says it’s slow and horrible). With ubiquitous Wi-Fi, the iPhone and devices like it will change the way people work and communicate. There will be even more demand for ubiquitous computing. Cities and their partners are trying to meet this demand.
I love fiber to the home, and I am certainly not going to criticize cities like Amsterdam (where I live) that are rolling out fiber infrastructure so that I can enjoy 50 Mbps symmetrical broadband service.
But let’s face it. With FTTH, I am still stuck at my desk. FTTH does not give me Internet everywhere. I want it everywhere, as do a lot of people. The mobile operators’ version of Internet everywhere is the slow, expensive 3G (or in the case of AT&T, EDGE) network. Now if a city deploys a citywide Wi-Fi network using fiber as the backhaul to bring more bandwidth, I’m excited.
But most of the city and regionwide Wi-Fi networks are being deployed in the US, not in Europe. I believe that the massive demand for Internet everywhere and the presence of citywide Wi-Fi service will encourage startups and existing tech companies develop new applications and services. The US can gain a competitive advantage in this area. The focus should not be solely on the amount of bandwidth.
When I got a DSL connection back in the late 1990s in Amsterdam, I spent hours with tech support, trying to set up the DSL modem. Today setting up a DSL modem is plug and play. But no one at that time said DSL was a huge failure or that it was worthless. That’s what we are hearing today with citywide wireless networks.
It’s funny that people single out municipal wireless when complaining about delays and glitches. There are also a lot of delays and glitches when contractors build roads and bridges, which are ancient when you think that the Romans were already building them thousands of years ago. But I don’t see the same kind of scorn heaped upon civil engineering construction delays.
What about mobile phone service? Surely the operators have had years to fix glitches and ensure better coverage. Yet, last week in San Francisco, I lost cell phone connectivity in the middle of the day (I have a T-Mobile prepaid card) and mysteriously after a few hours, it came back on. I also have trouble getting the T-Mobile connection inside certain apartment buildings — in the middle of San Francisco!
I don’t understand why the irony of Verizon’s “can you hear me now” or Cingular’s “fewest calls dropped” ad campaign is lost of most people. This is cellular technology which has been around for at least ten years and it uses licensed spectrum. Despite the glitches, people continue to use mobile phones and they don’t call the entire industry a massive failure.
While I have focused here on ubiquitous Internet access, let me point out that there’s an entire universe of applications out there that will be extremely useful when we have ubiquitous Wi-Fi connectivity. Today cities are using these networks for traffic management, public safety, automated mater reading, etc. There are many more applications in the pipeline that call for machine to machine communications. Cities use these networks not only to save money, but to improve the efficiency of their services.
In summary, we are entering a new phase in which citywide Wi-Fi networks will provide a platform for innovation not only in consumer services but also in government use. The demand for ubiquitous Internet access will increase dramatically because of the iPhone and similar portable Wi-Fi devices. The money saved by local government on telecommunications and the efficiency gained by cities when they use these networks to deliver services will drive even more deployments. This is just the beginning.
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Like the author of this article, I too want wireless internet access everywhere! It is frustrating to attempt to get access in places where you theoretically should and end up being out of the signals range.
I got a Wi-Fire to ensure that my laptop’s internal wireless card could go the distance and then some. It plugs right into my USB port and extends my signal up to 1,000 feet. It is perfect for those buildings and trees tat obstruct those just out of reach signals. I bring it everywhere when I travel on business. I highly recommend one, because until wireless internet IS everywhere, products like this will remain much needed. You can find it at http://www.hfield.com
I’m concerned that wide spread municipal WiFi will be killed by products like Verizon’s EVDO. The product delivers me 1Mbps most everywhere, and I can retain the same IP and keep a VPN connection while traveling at freeway speeds for a hundred miles. WiFi is never going to be this good, and the EVDO product works, today.
Of course, it’s $60 a month, but if/when that falls, why would anyone use WiFi?
-Dane
Good article. Here are a few comments and or concerns on each section.
1. People want to access to the Internet everywhere:
Correct, and not only that, they want access at the same speeds they get today on their DSL/Cable Modem links but while in a Portable Mode. They want to take their services with them when they leave home.
This to include Video/Data/VoiceIP, Gaming and P2P type links. However, the failure of MuniWireless is not as much the delay but the 1st generation vendors/service providers deployed a single (and in some cases 2 radio) mesh product that struggles to deliver what we call a Broadband (2Mbps+) link-even outdoors.
I am afraid the Philadelphia deployment, as well as Anaheim is going to demonstrate this weakness and cause concern in our market and opportunities for the Narrowband (512 to 1Mbps) Cell Carriers to position their services.
It is the technology and the design being deployed that will handicap these networks.
2. The US will gain a competitive edge with its municipal Wi-Fi networks: This will only come to pass if and when the muni, their consultants and the Service providers select and deploy robust multi radio systems (4-6 Radios) that can provide the coverage, bandwidth and Latency these service require.
3. Delays and glitches are inevitable when deploying new wireless networks. In fact there are still glitches in good old cellular networks:
This is true but there are wireless mesh solutions out their today, Belair and Strix to name 2, that with the proper design and gateways will allow Muni to deploy a Carrier Grade Wireless Mesh network that can and will handle the bandwidth and coverage we need.
4. There’s more to muni Wi-Fi than Internet access.
Absolutely true and something we all have ignored in the past. IP does not mean Internet Access, it means Internet Protocal and most backbones networks being deployed today are based on IP. The Internet is merely one Service that these networks can connect to.
The Muni, that should be the anchor in these Mesh Network, will use these wireless network to connect their field personnel to their data centers. In most cases they already have a Internet Service from a Wired provider and they really do not want their field personnel surfing the web (Internet) wirelessly while working. If they must gain Internet access they can connect wirelessly to their data centers and go out on the Muni Internet service.
Future:
With the proper technology these new Wireless Mesh and future WiMAX broadband systems will allow the Muni and its citizens to gain access to their Information when and wherever they are in a designated coverage areas. These Broadband systems will also be able to leverage (converge with-FMC) the Wide Area Narrowband services the Cell Carriers are seeking to provide, and help them offload some of these real Broadband Video/VoiceIP and P2P type traffic and allow them to re-focus their efforst at delivering the best Voice traffic they can in their Nationwide and Rural Markets. Meanhile WiFi and WiMAx systems will dominate the Major Metro markets for real Broadband services.
Disruptive Systems:
Watch what happenms with the 700Mhz auction in Feb 2008. Whomever wins nationwide spectrum will dominate this Broadband Metro Area space in the 2009-2010 time frame. Also, we might also watch what Google decides to do in this auction. $2-4 Billion for this spectrum will allow them access to and control of the Last Mile they are missing today to dominate this entire Content and delivery marketplace.
The Cellco’s cannot afford to lose this spectrum auction or they will have to revert back to cell voice only.
Jacomo
To Whom It May Concern,
Do you know anyone that provides help with access to the internet through wi-fi for low income handicap persons.
Thank You
Michael Kurtz
G