This is the first in a promised series, with the next article slated to discuss how 802.16 actually works and how its potential for success compares with 802.11, a standard that has grown in popularity lately.
"The telecommunications companies have made huge capital investments over many years to support POTS (plain old telephone service). In a regulated environment, Ma Bell was assured of a reasonable return on its investment. These days, building the “last mile” of fiber connectivity to an office park or city neighborhood can be highly speculative with an enormous up-front investment required before a carrier can expect to collect any revenue. ... In contrast, broadband wireless has the potential to vastly reduce the initial investment and risk."
"802.16, the latest entry in the wireless networking technology pantheon, is an up and coming serious contender as a wireless alternative to DSL, cable modem, leased lines, and other broadband network access technologies. Intel has already pledged to develop a silicon product based on the 802.16 standard, and it claims equipment based on its chips will have a range of up to 30 miles and the ability to transfer data, voice, and video at speeds of up to 70 Mbps."
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
