Comments on: European Commission backs away from data roaming caps; T-Mobile says just use Wi-Fi http://www.muniwireless.com/2008/07/24/european-commission-backs-away-from-data-roaming-caps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=european-commission-backs-away-from-data-roaming-caps Citywide WiFi, smart grid, enterprise wireless, public safety, mobile apps Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:38:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Esme Vos http://www.muniwireless.com/2008/07/24/european-commission-backs-away-from-data-roaming-caps/#comment-41377 Esme Vos Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:22:18 +0000 http://www.muniwireless.com/?p=7918#comment-41377 The new 802.11n outdoor and indoor access points are a lot more powerful, handle interference better and are much cheaper than the previous generation, making large scale WiFi deployments more affordable. The quality of the connections are better especially if you are using devices that use 802.11n WiFi chips (all new devices in essence). More and more venues have WiFi (aside from the usual cafes, hotels, etc.). Indeed when I was in Bali, there was free WiFi in all the cafes; most of the spas and restaurants had it too, so I used my iPod Touch with Skype to make calls. Meanwhile, the quality of service on the cellular networks of carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile continues to deteriorate to the point where voice calls get dropped with alarming frequency. All of my voice calls on my iPhone (using AT&T's lousy service) get dropped here in my home/office in San Francisco, very close to downtown. I had a conference call yesterday with someone whose office is in downtown SF and he began the call by saying, "Please provide me with your number so I can call you back. AT&T always drops my calls." So I told him, well, it also happens to me and that we will have to use Skype. I find Skype on WiFi much more reliable than cellular. What will happen when a lot of people get even more iPads and move to the new iPhone 4? That is why Facetime, the new iPhone 4 video calling application, runs ONLY on WiFi. Apple knows the cellular networks would just collapse if people use Facetime on a 3G/EDGE network. Last week AT&T announced that it is changing its data plan. Instead of $30 per month with unlimited data (this was the only plan available), it now has 2 plans: $15 with 200 MB limit and $25 with 2G limit, then they charge $10 per gigabyte. Most people were upset about this. They feel they have an inalienable right to unlimited data plans. However, I noticed when traveling in Los Angeles and just being here in SF that the AT&T cellular network is pretty useless for anything but getting emails and tweeting. Google maps load so slowly; websites barely load at all. There is no way I will even reach this 200 MB limit with the cheapest plan because the network is so terrible. So I do not agree with you that WiFi is just this thing you can't find anywhere and that its range is limited to 100 feet. The technology has changed quite dramatically. Please read Ken Biba's posts on MuniWireless where he explains these changes. The new 802.11n outdoor and indoor access points are a lot more powerful, handle interference better and are much cheaper than the previous generation, making large scale WiFi deployments more affordable. The quality of the connections are better especially if you are using devices that use 802.11n WiFi chips (all new devices in essence). More and more venues have WiFi (aside from the usual cafes, hotels, etc.). Indeed when I was in Bali, there was free WiFi in all the cafes; most of the spas and restaurants had it too, so I used my iPod Touch with Skype to make calls.

Meanwhile, the quality of service on the cellular networks of carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile continues to deteriorate to the point where voice calls get dropped with alarming frequency. All of my voice calls on my iPhone (using AT&T’s lousy service) get dropped here in my home/office in San Francisco, very close to downtown. I had a conference call yesterday with someone whose office is in downtown SF and he began the call by saying, “Please provide me with your number so I can call you back. AT&T always drops my calls.” So I told him, well, it also happens to me and that we will have to use Skype.

I find Skype on WiFi much more reliable than cellular. What will happen when a lot of people get even more iPads and move to the new iPhone 4? That is why Facetime, the new iPhone 4 video calling application, runs ONLY on WiFi. Apple knows the cellular networks would just collapse if people use Facetime on a 3G/EDGE network.

Last week AT&T announced that it is changing its data plan. Instead of $30 per month with unlimited data (this was the only plan available), it now has 2 plans: $15 with 200 MB limit and $25 with 2G limit, then they charge $10 per gigabyte. Most people were upset about this. They feel they have an inalienable right to unlimited data plans. However, I noticed when traveling in Los Angeles and just being here in SF that the AT&T cellular network is pretty useless for anything but getting emails and tweeting. Google maps load so slowly; websites barely load at all. There is no way I will even reach this 200 MB limit with the cheapest plan because the network is so terrible.

So I do not agree with you that WiFi is just this thing you can’t find anywhere and that its range is limited to 100 feet. The technology has changed quite dramatically. Please read Ken Biba’s posts on MuniWireless where he explains these changes.

]]> By: Chris Hawkins http://www.muniwireless.com/2008/07/24/european-commission-backs-away-from-data-roaming-caps/#comment-41374 Chris Hawkins Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:57:58 +0000 http://www.muniwireless.com/?p=7918#comment-41374 Im sorry but i am getting so sick of hearing this "solution". Are people retarded when they speak? Given the fact that wifi hot spots have a range of about 100 feet, exactly how does one "just use WIFI" as an acceptable replacement for network data roaming? This has got to be 1st grade logic here. Even when you do find wifi spots 90% of them are password locked and also charge you for access. So what brilliant mind of the 21st century came up with the phrase "just use wifi" ? Im sorry but i am getting so sick of hearing this “solution”. Are people retarded when they speak? Given the fact that wifi hot spots have a range of about 100 feet, exactly how does one “just use WIFI” as an acceptable replacement for network data roaming? This has got to be 1st grade logic here. Even when you do find wifi spots 90% of them are password locked and also charge you for access. So what brilliant mind of the 21st century came up with the phrase “just use wifi” ?

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