The success of WiMAX wireless broadband will be decided by government determination to provide broadband access for all, according to the co-founder of Qualcomm, Dr Andrew Viterbi. “I wouldn’t bet on it [WiMAX] being a big player. It comes down to economics,” said Viterbi, speaking at the IEEE Radio and Wireless Symposium in San Diego.
Via: Electronics Weekly
Are the slow speeds of 802.11g bringing you down? If you’re a PC enthusiast looking for a faster way to stream media through house, fear not, for 802.11n is on its way. But if you’re a corporation looking at deploying or upgrading your wireless network, you may want to sit this one out for a couple years. At least, that’s the conclusion that Gartner has come to subsequent to the IEEE’s approval of a draft specification for the next generation of WiFi gear.
Via: ARS Technica
Business travellers waiting to catch their flights at Manchester Airport can now use wireless technology to surf the internet. The airport has teamed up with T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi access in all seating areas and most business lounges.
Via: Manchester Online
The spread of Wi-Fi, the wireless protocol that has fueled the growth in Internet access from coffee shops to McDonald’s to your local library, has sown the seeds of its own obsolescence.
Certainly, the rise in wireless hot spots has been phenomenal. While almost all newer laptops come with a built-in Wi-Fi radio, all of this connectivity is not enough. Networks are straining under the load of sending video, and users are demanding connections from moving vehicles and while traveling across the country. And the ability to wirelessly connect cameras, cell phones and even printers is not far off.
Via: News.com
Linksys and Yahoo Inc. on Thursday said they have developed a plug-in that enables people to stream music from the Yahoo music service on a PC to a home stereo, via the Linksys Wireless-G Music Bridge. The software is integrated into both the bridge and the Yahoo Music Engine, the desktop software that runs the subscription service that gives people unlimited access to Yahoo’s catalog of more than a million songs. People signing up for the Yahoo service, which cost $5 a month for an annual subscription or $7 for a monthly subscription, can get a $20 rebate from Yahoo for the Linksys product.
Via: Information Week
Looking to stay ahead of Asian and European rivals in broadband deployment, the U.S. is making an aggressive bid to open up spectrum for emerging WiMAX technology, according to a Bush administration official.
The U.S. is moving to open up WiMAX spectrum on several fronts, including the 700-MHz frequency band, said Michael Gallagher, assistant secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. Gallagher also serves as administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Via: EE Times
An industry-standards group has given its blessing to a proposal for the next-generation 802.11n Wi-Fi standard, paving the way for 600-Mbit/s products by 2006. That the standard was approved was no surprise: members of the IEEE working group had resolved their differences last week, banding together to support a modified proposal from the Enhanced Wireless Consortium, led by Atheros, Broadcom, and Intel.
Broward County has set up a wireless broadband network with free Internet access at outdoor hotspots around downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Locations where people with a laptop computer or personal digital assistant can log on for free are at Stranahan Park next to the main library, along Southwest Second Street between the Governmental Center and the Old Himmarshee area and along Las Olas Boulevard between Andrews Avenue and Southeast 10th Avenue.
Via: Sun Sentinel
With a goal of promoting economic rejuvenation, the project was organized by the City of Boston’s Office of Business Development. It is currently being piloted in four commercial districts throughout the city: Hyde Park; Roslindale; Washington Gateway; and West Roxbury. The access is free of charge and is supported by advertising revenue. It is designed to serve as an example of how Wi-Fi can be supplied to citizens free of usage charges and free of taxpayer burden, and is a result of a 2004 feasibility study commissioned by City Councilor John Tobin.
Via: Wireless IQ
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