wireless communications

Get ready for OFDM

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Orthogonal Division Frequency Multiplexing (OFDM) may not be at the center of your radar screen, but if you build wireless systems or applications, you should be learning about OFDM and what it does for wireless communications. A technology foundation of WiMAX, OFDM will be a key ingredient in allowing mobile WiMAX to have an impact on the work life of mobile professionals. OFDM makes it possible to squeeze more channels and more effective bandwidth into a given slice of radio spectrum--that's a win for WiMAX, the service providers, and the users.

For more on OFDM:
- Read the technology analysis at WirelessWeek

A year-end look at the future of wireless

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:56 -0500

We've reached the end of 2007, and now it's time to look ahead to what we'll see in the wireless marketplace for the coming year. According to a panel of experts, some of the factors controlling news in 2008 will be:

Google will continue to push into many aspects of wireless communications.
The 700 MHz spectrum auction will open more than just another radio band--it could open an entirely new wireless business model.
The WiMAX build-out will either accelerate or come to a halt. Many experts think that WiMAX faces a narrowing window of opportunity before 4G cellular data arrives--in 2008, we'll know whether the believers are ready to put up towers.
Wireless devices will get faster and more capable as we move into the Wireless 2.0 universe of technology and expectations.

There's much more--you can use the information to plan you year, or to set up an office pool on which technologies will really win in the coming year.

For more on a wireless 2008:
- Read the prognostications at WirelessWeek

Machine-to-machine messaging

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Messaging between embedded control and intelligence devices may not be the sexiest topic in wireless communications, but it could well be the most important. Just as Bluetooth allows communications between devices that are within a short cable's distance of one another, M2M (Machine to Machine) messaging can allow devices separated by miles or oceans to communicate with one to another. M2M is rapidly changing as analog cellular networks are replaced by digital networks, and the change is being reflected in greater certainty in message delivery and timing--not to mention a higher bandwidth available for messages. The market is predicted to grow beyond $8 billion a year--though this market's impact could grow well beyond those economic measures.

For more on M2M applications and growth:
- Read the hand's on analysis at WirelessWeek

AT&T: The most open network?

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Following announcements that Verizon plans to open its network to third-party phones and applications, AT&T's wireless-business CEO said that AT&T's network is already open, and will remain more open than Verizon. Since SIM-card identity-management is inherent in GSM networks, he's right--though it seems odd to hear an executive touting a feature the company long fought tooth-and-nail. Whatever could be the impetus behind the new spirit of openness in the cellular telephone market? It might be that vendors hear the substantial footsteps of Google as the search company continues to move into wireless communications.

For more on network open features:
- Read the whole story at DailyTechRag

Microsoft's take on wireless

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:59:56 -0400

Microsoft has been making a lot of noise in the wireless space lately, from a stated interest in the 700 Mhz spectrum auction to the latest version of Windows CE for mobile devices. Now, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is talking about how all these developments tie together into a coherent strategy for wireless communications. What does he say? Windows Mobile 7 will be great, mobile advertising is coming (and Microsoft plans to be a big player), and the potential for email on mobile devices is still huge, since 98 percent of phones have never been used beyond voice.

What's more, the company announced System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, an integrated Windows Mobile management platform that allows admins to manage fleets of Windows Mobile smartphones over-the-air.

For more on Ballmer's vision for Microsoft wireless:
- check out DailyTechRag's live coverage of Ballmer's keynote

The Wireless Beachfront

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

The FCC is getting ready to auction off access to a pleasant little strip of radio-frequency spectrum--think of it as the beach-front property of the wireless communications world. Some have said that this will be the last great spectrum auction of this generation, and companies like Google have certainly been acting as though that's true. With all you've read about open versus closed and the dangers of interference, do you really have a firm handle on what the spectrum is and, more important, can or can't do? This article provides clear, concise descriptions (and visual aids!) that should help set you straight.

For more on the upcoming FCC auction:
- read the in-depth report at WirelessWeek

Everybody gets smart(phones)

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Smartphones have lost their status. Not too long ago, a smartphone in your hand meant that you were an important person--a professional not to be trifled with. Now, a smartphone means, well, it means that you have a smartphone. I spend a lot of time on a college campus, and believe me, a smartphone simply isn't a status symbol anymore. The good news in this is that more and more, people have access to superb communications applications. The bad news is that you really need to find another way to show your status. For enterprise users, custom applications that take full advantage of wireless communications and the device interface are great status symbols. For users from businesses large and small, systems and practices that provide genuine security for portable data are high-status indeed. And for everyone else with a smartphone, knowing how and when to use it in ways that are courteous to the other humans around you is, perhaps, the most high-status thing you can do. It's obvious that simply using a smartphone is no longer new and novel. The key, from here on out, is using it well. -Curtis

From phones to people

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

There's something odd about the latest development in mobile phones--technology that helps people find people. Phones have always been the "next best thing to being there," but new developments in mobile technology promise to help people get together face-to-face as well voice-to-voice. These new products and services bring GPS, SMS, and voice technologies together to facilitate meetings. Wireless communications proponents have long spoken of smart phones changing the way that companies work, and handheld devices have done just that. The changes to this point are likely to pale in comparison to the shift that will occur as all the communications types--including face-to-face--come together to build and strengthen enterprise teams. The brave new world is finally here--now, we will see what that means for business. -Curtis

Verizon and AT&T oppose open access

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:01:36 -0400

In February 2009, the world of wireless communications will get a lot bigger as the FCC opens up the 700 MHz band for commercial use. The question still to be answered is precisely how the auctions of those frequencies will be run. Google has proposed "micro auctions" that would open up the spectrum to small providers that, Google says, would bring increased innovation and decreased customer cost to the wireless market. Based on their experience in the cellular telephone market, Verizon and AT&T disagree, saying that the local monopoly model pioneered in the cell frequency auctions would maximize the value of the spectrum and bring greater benefits to the U.S. Treasury. The debate is worth watching carefully, because the outcome will have a profound effect on the next-generation wireless communications available to you and your organization.

For more on open-access opposition:
- read the feature article at CIO-Today

How to give a WLAN voice capabilities

Sun, 11 Sep 2005 20:01:38 -0400

There is no denying that voice over IEEE 802.11 WLANs are gaining in popularity. All you have to do is look at the slew of benefits derived: better customer service, improved staff productivity, stronger security and a reduction in costs. But there's also some big issues in running voice applications over that wireless LAN. You have to make sure you have enough access points so users don't hit dead ends, make sure you build in enough bandwidth for today's and tomorrow's user requirements and be committed to scaling the VoIP WLAN as necessary. Once wireless communications is in the hands of users, they're not going to give it up and they're only going to expect more features, functionality and portability.

The biggest chunk of work, however, is likely in the security aspects. Experts recommend using IEEE 802.1x authentication for verifying users' identities for network access. You also need to take into consideration the company office infrastructure in the WLAN voice design. All these issues have to be reviewed, investigated and understood before deployment to ensure that voice applications work to the company's best abilities.

For more on making WLANs voice-ready:
- read this article at Mobilized Software

PLUS: More insight on VoWLAN design specs. Article