Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Last mile, wirelessly - 802.16

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 14:45:20 -0400

WIRELESS REPORT

Covering the Last Mile, Finally
By Matthew Maier

http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,,49190,00.html

Like long-distance runners nearing the end of a grueling race,
broadband Internet access providers have had trouble covering the
so-called last mile, the connection from main telephone trunk
lines to individual houses. That means that many people who live
in rural or hard-to-reach areas have had trouble getting
broadband service. Now, however, thanks to a recently updated
communications protocol, broadband wireless technology is
stepping in to help bridge the gap.

Officially known as 802.16, the standard is more commonly called
WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network) and is a low-cost
alternative to cable and DSL service. WMAN uses both licensed and
unlicensed radio spectrum to wirelessly connect consumers and
enterprises to the long-haul fiber networks that crisscross the
nation, making up the backbone of the Internet.

So far, WMAN comes in two flavors: the original standard, 802.16,
and its cousin, 802.16a, which was ratified in January by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, an industry
standards body. 802.16 offers only line-of-sight, fixed wireless
Internet access in the 10- to 66-gigahertz range and will be used
by, among others, police and fire departments.

Meanwhile, the newer 802.16a will connect users in situations
where a line-of-sight connection isn't possible. With ranges in
excess of 50 kilometers (31 miles) in rural areas and three to
five kilometers (about 2 to 3 miles) in more densely populated
urban regions, this standard is seen as the best consumer-focused
broadband wireless alternative. It's even compatible with Wi-Fi
equipment, making it a good system for connecting Wi-Fi hotspots
to the Internet.

The idea of using fixed broadband wireless access as an
alternative to DSL or cable is not new. Sprint used to offer
something called Broadband Direct, which launched in 2000 and
offered line-of-sight wireless service for $49.95 a month to
consumers in a dozen markets. But that service ultimately failed
because of high equipment costs, equipment-installation pitfalls
(you often had to call a technician to your house), and spotty
coverage. To avoid making the same mistakes, the architects of
802.16a spent three years testing prototype equipment in
real-world environments and ironing out any problems that could
crop up between different vendor systems.

Whether all that testing will pay off remains to be seen. The
first 802.16a-compliant equipment won't hit the market until the
middle of next year. However, wireless industry group WiMax Forum
is already developing a certification program to help standardize
access equipment, hoping to lower the cost and increase the
quality of service provided by 802.16a gear. With big-name
members like Nokia and Intel -- along with a slew of smaller,
innovative companies such as Alvarion, Aperto Networks, and
Proxim -- the WiMax Forum is committed to speeding up adoption of
802.16a equipment.

Many see pervasive broadband penetration as one of the final
requirements for a truly networked, information-driven society.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the wireless industry -- one
of the early pioneers in connecting far-flung entities -- is so
active in its attempts to cross one of broadband's most-enduring
barriers. If wireless can help bring broadband across the last
mile, the sky's the limit.

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