While Internet access at work or home is easily accomplished with fixed connections, wireless access is beginning to come up to speed and offer the benefit of mobility albeit over short distances.  This  growing  wireless  access  technology  is  called Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access and is essentially  a  networking  system that  creates  a  wireless  connection between a device, typically a laptop PC, and a network or the Internet. The power and size requirements of WLAN device cards make it more suitable for laptops and some PDAs than for smaller handheld devices such as cellular phones.
The majority of current WLAN systems use a technology called the 802.11 standard, also known as Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi began a couple of years ago under the name IEEE 802.11 High Rate (HR) standard. Someone with a sense of nostalgia coined the easier to relate term of Wi-Fi as a play on the old audio term hi-fi  (high fidelity), which entered the language back in the 1950s.

One of the key features of WLANs is that they use unlicensed  spectrum,  currently  most  in  the 2.4  GHz  range although systems are possible in 900 MHz as well as 5 GHz. Operating in unlicensed spectrum allows WLAN operators to set up a wireless network for only the cost of equipment and its connection to a network or the Internet.

These WLANs are useful for providing access in targeted locations such as offices as an extension of the wired network or in public areas such as airports, hotels, and shopping centers. These 2.4 Ghz systems typically have a range of about 300 feet and currently offer speeds of about up to 11Mbps, which is roughly equivalent to older 10 Mbps Ethernet throughput. Future WLAN standards should increase this to up to 54 Mbps which would be much more suitable for multi-media applications such as Video.

WLAN technologies can be implemented in two ways: access point or peer-to-peer configuration. Access point config
uration is the most popular method and uses a wireless point of access that connects to the fixed network connection on one end and transmits wireless signals on the other end. Access points  typically  accommodate  six  network  interface  cards (NICs). These PCMIA type cards are the devices that allow the connection back to the access point.

The other method of implementation is the peer-to-peer configuration that works by allowing each end client or device card  to  connect  to  each  other  and  communicate  directly between laptops or devices.

Most WLANs are currently installed in offices to provide mobility to workers that need to access the network while away from their desks a growing number of systems are being setup for public use.

There are groups of socially minded individuals that are using public  access  WLANs to create pockets of network access that would be free for all to use. A basic WLAN system can be installed for under $1,000 and offer service to users in a 300 foot radius of the antenna. Anyone with an 802.11b card could in theory access the network. These networks could offer limited access to localized content on a community oriented intranet as well as offering access to the broader Internet.

WLANs are also being planned for public access in locations that consumers frequent including airports, coffee shops, and hotels. The potential for these systems to offer localized content including advertisements or event specific content has businesses  excited  about  the  possibilities.  Starbucks  has announced plans to offer WLAN access points at numerous test locations that would give anyone with a WLAN card in their device access to a network. This network could be provided as a free service or offered as a pay as you go system. These systems can provide more than basic Internet access, Starbucks could provide information designed to improve customer service and sell more coffee.

BLUETOOTH—SHORTER RANGE BUT LOWER POWER CONSUMPTION

For devices that are too small or unable to provide the power needed to operate a WLAN card there is a new technology in the  works called  Bluetooth.  Similar  to  WLAN technology, Bluetooth is designed for smaller devices with lower power consumption. This lower power means a shorter range of transmission; Blue tooth will initially be limited to approximately 30 feet. With potential throughput on par with WLAN, Bluetooth will compete with WLAN for short range access for laptop PCs and printers.  Bluetooth  will  be  more  suitable  for  smaller devices  and  operates  on  a  peer-to-peer  configuration  that establishes a piconet (a series of connected devices that pass the data along to one another in a kind of fire brigade manner) to  extend  the  reach  back  to  a  network  when  available. Bluetooth will be used more often in scenarios where data is to be exchanged between two or more devices such as between multiple PDAs or between a PDA, cell phone, and a printer.

CELLULAR THREAT OR BENEFIT?

Some may see WLAN and Bluetooth access as competition for cellular access, it’s more likely to evolve as an extension of cellular operators offerings. Wireless operators need WLAN technology to offload heavy localized traffic especially in indoor environments. Recent studies support the claim that 3G operators will need WLAN technology to handle the most demanding users in dense areas. The fact that WLAN uses unlicensed spectrum will not mean that operators wouldn’t need to spend money to operate these systems as they will need the same centralized network management, subscriber identification, security, and roaming systems in place to manage this last portion of the wireless transmission. WLANs could be configured to cache frequently accessed content and reduce the data traffic carried by the backbone of the system that would be using licensed spectrum.

Other issues ill need to be overcome for WLAN technology to peacefully exist with other systems that use the unlicensed spectrum. Congestion is a real possibility as there is no limit to the number of networks and traffic that could try to use the frequency in a given area. Security is an issue that is growing in importance as more and more users have a WLAN card and can easily walk or drive within range of many corporate systems. Many of these systems have been installed with no change to the equipments factory settings enabling anyone that knows the common factory settings and passwords to gain access to corporate networks. Interference will also be a challenge especially for companies such as Starbucks since other devices such as Microwave ovens can generate frequencies close enough to 2.4 GHz to disrupt the WLAN transmission every time they heat up a muffin.

CHANGING THE ROLE OF WIRELESS OPERATORS

Wireless technology is still in its infancy and as technology changes so does the business model of the service providers. Rarely  have  major  changes to  the  infrastructure  failed  to change the possible business models.

As technologies such as WLAN and Bluetooth improve, they will serve a portion of consumers need for connectivity. Wireless operators have traditionally offered services only on licensed spectrum as it protected them from undue competition. The future will see operators offering services over both licensed and unlicensed spectrum reflecting a shift towards the need for seamless management of wireless access across various networks.

Operators of the future will need to compete not only against the few that have purchased licensed spectrum but also those that offer services in the unlicensed band. We believe that most enterprise and consumer users will lean towards solutions that integrate the authentication, customer care, and billing of as many network access technologies as needed for their particular use.  Operators with licensed spectrum will still have an edge over those without licenses, as many users will resist the hassle of separate subscriptions for access needed on different overlapping networks that will often service the same laptop or mobile device.