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BusinessWeek on Wi-Fi

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bits-and-bytes-through-the-wild-blue-yonder dept.

ydeepakjois writes "BusinessWeek is running a series of articles on the potential of wireless high-speed access, the Wi-Fi industry and the challenges faced by it. There is also an interesting bit about a business model for wireless carriers."

5 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. This is going to be a joyous thing by thedbp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When Centrinos are commonplace and WiFi hotspots are provided and subsidized by Intel and the like around the country, those lucky bastards who bought iBooks and PowerBooks w/ AirPort YEARS ago will have a nice little windfall of free bandwidth as they roam around the landscape.

    Being ahead of the curve has always been good for Apple users - sometimes you find that the industry sort of settles around what you've been doing/using for years ... for instance, Macs have had built-in ethernet since 1991, and the first true a/v models that features composite and s-video input and output w/a second DSP chip specifically for the heavy a/v lifting, debuted in 1993.

    I feel like a Boy Scout w/ my Mac - always prepared. And not in the hot entree type of prepared - I mean the "ready for anything" type of prepared.

    1. Re:This is going to be a joyous thing by benjiboo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Battery life on laptops needs to improve before wireless access is truly a useful thing. You couldn't anticipate being able to pick up a mail or video conference with such a big possibiliy of running out of juice. This is especially important as it's mainly useful to business users - even the most hardcore geek can do without the web for a few hours whilst traveliing etc.

      --
      Vacancy for signature. Apply within.
  2. What about the Security by Montgomery+Burns+III · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I have read several of the recent BW articles lauding the beaty and wonder of WI-FI. I was apalled at the lack of concern about the security issues associated with wireless communications.
    While it is great to talk about the productivity gains of the tools, we dare not ignore the threats against:

    Confidentiality
    Integrity
    Availability.
    --

    'ta
  3. business travelers... by garcia · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this is my biggest problem w/Wi-Fi "hot-spots". There has to be more people than just "business travelers" that want wireless Internet connections...

    This is NOT a good business model people. I do NOT want to have to goto the local airport or downtown coffee shop (not my type of place) in order to get connected while I am out of my house.

    I want connections EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE. I want to goto the local bar, sit down w/my NTN Playmaker, my Budweiser, and my 12 Wild Wings, watching Football, and hop on the net to surf, AIM, ssh, etc.

    I am NOT a business traveler. I will probably never be one.

    Good business models include a LARGE cross-section.

  4. Wi-Fi.. great for what it is by Fnkmaster · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I mean, it's great that Wi-Fi hardware is so cheap and commoditized and everything, but what people keep seem to be missing is that A) the cheap commodity hardware is designed for small local area coverage, which is fabulous for business LANs and easy home networking, but bad for a general mobile wireless service B) hotspot-only coverage just doesn't provide a strong enough value proposition C) the purely commoditized nature of the hardware makes for a zero barriers to entry business. Anybody can build a network of hotspots on one payment system. But even if everybody used the same payment system, there would certainly be some value from it, but not at such a striking level that it is likely to happen. D) The only businesses that really have a striking imperative to need hotspots there are coffee shops, hotels and other places that make a living off of having people linger. McDonalds wireless - bad idea (I know they are experimenting with it), they want to get you in and out as soon as possible.


    The fact is, 3G wireless networks are going to win out in the long run. Being able to open your laptop in the coffee shop and surf the web is great, but the bigger "wireless" market is vehicular embedded communications devices, fully connected PDAs, email-on-the-go, web browsing from where-ever you want. And no, futzing with my fucking cellphone keypad to send a stupid SMS message just doesn't count, I want it all on my Palm Pilot/Windows CE device, I want it seemless, I want it universal, I want it affordable.