IP Wireless Puts Your Car on Broadband

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,108697,tk,dn011003X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article...n011003X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>I'm certainly not the first to predict the death of the cell phone companies, but after reading this article it all started to come together. Imagine paying $39 US a month for real-world 50 KB/s (400 kb/s) bandwidth that you can use as easily at home as in your car. Compared to the real-world GPRS speeds of 6 KB/s I can get here for $50, this seems like a very good deal. Add to that the pain the carriers are in from licensing 3G frequencies, and you have the setting for a major shake up in the way people communicate.<br /><br />"The company has installed a small base station at a local cell phone tower and uses special modems, about the size of 802.11b adapters, in its mobile demo booth. With that setup, I was able to surf the Web at upwards of 400 kilobits per second (about ten times faster than the real-world speed of current cell phone data services). I could view streamed television images from the BBC and made a very clear voice call over the Net. As we drove around downtown Las Vegas, we never lost our signal or even suffered a data hiccup. Company officials say the system can achieve a maximum of 3 megabits per second on downloads and 1 mbps uploading information. <br /><br />IP Wireless is selling its system to cell phone and Internet access providers, who will remarket the service to consumers. It's already available through companies in Maui and in Jacksonville, Florida, which are providing mobile broadband service as inexpensively as $39 monthly--competitive with rates for traditional DSL service. But unlike traditional DSL service, which can't extend beyond the range of your home network, the IP Wireless system works anywhere a cell phone will, once it's deployed, according to Chris Gilbert, chief executive officer. The company says its base stations will cover a range of up to 17 miles."

[Maverick]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :roll:

[dean_shan]

Very cool. It'd be nice to see this available across the country.

[Janak Parekh]

Sounds very much like a VoIP-over-WCDMA connection, which is cool. However, what the writer doesn't realize is if you put 1,000 people on this, you're going to get nowhere near the same bandwidth.

--janak

[DavidHorn]

In the UK I can get unlimited GPRS for about £6. ($9)

[Rirath]

Sounds wonderful, but I'm sure there's several major catches not listed. Call me a skeptic... but I'll believe it when I see it.

[Duncan]

In the UK I can get unlimited GPRS for about £6. ($9)

From who? None of the four UK networks offers such a package!

[Daimaou]

In the UK I can get unlimited GPRS for about £6. ($9)

From who? None of the four UK networks offers such a package!

and In Japan I got an Ulimited 128kpbs connection plus ISP for less than 5000 Yen (41,88 US) a month this on a CF Type II modem card wich is allow as well by software the ability to make or receive phone call directly form my Ipaq 3970 or my laptop. On the Ipaq It use both the Mic and Speaker you can also make a kind "conference call" with this or use a Walkman Headset for more privacy, this system work all over Japan

http://www.ddipocket.co.jp/syohin/images/ah-n401c/1.jpg
http://gagay.free.fr/GPS/capture.JPG

Also very soon Tokyo will be all cover on by Wifi Connection by NTT. Right now only some acces point are working the Internet speeb is a type of 12Mbps Adsl line (I m using a 8Mbps ADSL line at home) the price of this is actually of 1000 Yen (10 US)

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

IP Wireless is selling its system to cell phone and Internet access providers, who will remarket the service to consumers. It's already available through companies in Maui and in Jacksonville, Florida, which are providing mobile broadband service as inexpensively as $39 monthly--competitive with rates for traditional DSL service. But unlike traditional DSL service, which can't extend beyond the range of your home network, the IP Wireless system works anywhere a cell phone will, once it's deployed, according to Chris Gilbert, chief executive officer. The company says its base stations will cover a range of up to 17 miles.
:crazyeyes: Oh dear... I'm feeling a little feint... must breath... must....

[THUMP!]

[JonnoB]

I am getting something similar right now with my internet access. I get about 1.2 - 2Mb throughput. www.zinnianet.com

I believe eventually WiFi type technologies will replace the 3G style networks just now coming online.

[JonnoB]

Sounds very much like a VoIP-over-WCDMA connection, which is cool. However, what the writer doesn't realize is if you put 1,000 people on this, you're going to get nowhere near the same bandwidth.

--janak

Each tower can have multiple access points. This is no different than cable modem nodes or xDSL switches in the CO... you increase your uplink boxes to the backhaul carrier.

[Seraph1024]

Ok Now we are talking. Just as I was putting a computer in my car.... Nice time for technology to upgrade too. :D

[Janak Parekh]

Each tower can have multiple access points. This is no different than cable modem nodes or xDSL switches in the CO... you increase your uplink boxes to the backhaul carrier.
... except since the last mile is wireless, and since it covers up to 17 "last miles", one wireless POP may be subject to much greater load than a typical cable/DSL POP (using the POP term loosely here). I'll accept your point, though, and let's hope they planned to scale, and scale fast, if this takes off. :)

--janak

[Joff]

In the UK I can get unlimited GPRS for about £6. ($9)

From who? None of the four UK networks offers such a package!

Yeah, I would also like to know where from? Sounds too good to be true.

I believe eventually WiFi type technologies will
replace the 3G style networks just now coming online.

Well the coverage of WiFi is very limited due to the legal power transmission restriction in the frequency spectrum used. The result is a coverage of only a few hundred meters. The WiFi transceiver is also very hungry on the the battery. I think WiFi is not in direct competition with 3G systems. They address different market segements. We need a 3G solution for a trully global mobile solution. WiFi giving a wireless access point to private local networks.

[krisbrown]

I think he's referring to the package on Orange that comes with the Smartphone, they give you unlimited for £6 a month, but it only last a few months then you revert to normal GPRS charges.

Still it's a good deal and hopefully a sign of things to come.

If you are a high user, you can get the SPV smartphone for free upgrade, how sweet is that :D

Of course GPRS is free till the end of the month on most networks, I'm going to miss that, probably never use it again, I get free dial-up wap.

[seanturner]

Yeah, that's kinda interesting what speeds you'd get with the PPC. I did some testing and found 802.11b transfer speeds to be less than what one would get on a PC. I wonder if that is just a driver issue or what... But, it would be intersting to see how well it would be implemented on the PPC...

Here is a link to my speed tests: http://www.pdajunkie.net/wirelessinetspeedtest.htm

[nirav28]

Hate to sound cynical, but what are the chances of this being deployed widely across north america? or even major metropolitan areas. Richochet had similar ambitions in the late 90s.

Besides, the cell phone towers are owned and maintained with great expense from the wireless providers such as sprint, verizon and at&t. Do you think someone like AT&T who probably has similar plans going to allow a someone like this enter their market?

Although , if government regulation takes over, such as it did with longdistance and dsl/cable. This might be a good thing. Example: Dsl, All DSL DSLAMS are owned by Telcos such as SBC/Pacbell. But due to government regulation. All telcos have to open up their dslam to let outside ISPs provide DSL service. (Covad). Even though the actual ground lines and switches are owned by the telcos. Lets just hope that happens for wireless providers. Competition is good.

Now i just need to find a small enough server to put in my trunk. :)

[Janak Parekh]

Hate to sound cynical, but what are the chances of this being deployed widely across north america? or even major metropolitan areas. Richochet had similar ambitions in the late 90s.
Yup, I agree. I don't see the cash infusion necessary to pull this off.

Now i just need to find a small enough server to put in my trunk. :)
www.jadetec.co.uk has what you need, although it isn't cheap...

--janak