Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Thus Group Says Wi-Fi is Unsecure

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:40:08 -0400

Thus Group Says Wi-Fi is Unsecure

Thus Group Says Wi-Fi is not secure and is unreliable. U.K.'s Thus Group Plc, a
fixed-line operator, questioned Wi-Fi's security and reliability, describing the
technology as "developing and imperfect." Thus's main competitor, BT Group Plc,
however, feels differently. BT is pushing Wi-Fi and plans to build 4,000 Wi-Fi
spots by the middle of 2004. The company maintains that there is a strong business
case for public Wi-Fi service.

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UK's Thus Attacks WiFi Wireless Net Access 'Flaws'

Reuters
Tue October 21, 2003 11:06 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Thus Group Plc, a British fixed-line telecoms operator,
launched an attack Tuesday against the much-hyped WiFi short-range wireless
technology for its lack of security and reliability.
Steve Kennedy, head of product futures at Thus, said WiFi could work well for
specific networking requirements, but he described it as a "developing and
imperfect technology."

"It has inherent weaknesses and offers only a fraction of the capacity and
security of wired networks," Kennedy said.

WiFi can give users of properly equipped laptops and handheld devices high-speed
wireless Internet access at short ranges. The past year has seen several
companies, including mobile phone operators, make big investments in WiFi
"hotspots."

"The technology is inherently flawed and there are no guarantees it will deliver
bandwidth consistently," Kennedy said. "In addition, it is emerging into a strict
regulatory environment that could seriously hamper its roll out."

He also noted that WiFi network signals occupy a part of the airwaves already
congested by other electronic equipment, from surgical devices to microwave ovens.
As for security measures, most WiFi users did not bother to turn them on, he
added.

"At the moment WiFi ought to come with a government health warning," Kennedy
concluded.
But Thus's biggest competitor, Britain's former fixed-line telecoms monopoly BT
Group Plc, is also one of Europe's leading proponents of WiFi technology, also
known as WLAN (wireless local area network). BT, which plans to build 4,000
short-range transmission sites by mid-2004, says it sees clear demand among
business travelers for such "hotspots" in airports and hotels.

"Focusing on these business locations, the business case for a public WLAN service
appears to be strong," BT said in a statement, while conceding that it may not
take off as quickly in Europe as it did in Japan, Korea and the United States and
that several WLAN operators could ultimately prove unsuccessful.
"But this is no different from any start-up market," BT added.

Mobile operators say WiFi will work together with their own cellular networks to
provide total mobile coverage. Late last month, two leading European mobile phone
companies, Vodafone Group Plc and Orange SA, announced separate deals with BT for
access to its British WiFi network.

http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=73203

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