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Fido Launches New Broadband Wireless Access
bug-eyed monster writes "Fido is launching a new wireless internet service with 'Download at speeds of up to 2.2 Mbps,' in Richmond BC and Cumberland ON. It uses a special modem that plugs into a regular network card. The technology providers' websites, Microcell and Inukshuk, inform us that the service uses Multipoint Communications Systems (radio-based) in the 2500 MHz range. The modem can be used anywhere within Richmond and 'up to 2.5km away from any network base station' (no idea if it can also run on batteries). Of course, this is all torture for me since I live next-door in Vancouver, just out of reach of the network."
If you're desperate and the terrain will cooperate, perhaps build a cantenna(or buy one of those wire-dish highly directional antennas). You might have to open up the modem to get an external antenna installed...although the modem might be leased, making that a no-go option.
Please help metamoderate.
1) Extra peripheral. When I'm mobile, the last thing I want is to take along yet another notebook thingie. I've already got a wireless minicard; why should I take along a freaking *modem* too?
2. What possible use could anybody have for wireless net access 24x7 in a localised area? If you're at home, you generally have wired internet access (or, if you live in an apartment building, perhaps free wireless ;) If you're at work, you have wired access or access from a WAP. Starbucks and other coffee houses have WAPs. Where else would you need wireless? Which brings me to my last point...
3. The Greater Vancouver area, for one, is saturated with unprotected wifi; why would I ever need to *pay* for access? ;)
Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
I'm more and more impressed with Fido as time goes on. For those of you who aren't on the West Coast of Canada, Fido's cell plan is something like $45 per month, unlimited local calls. I'm not sure what other cell plans are like in the US, but for Canada, Fido's the first to try anything like that... makes it easy to simply replace your landline with a cell for not much more $$.
No restrictions in dense areas such as urban centers, since you could always route around a full AP, and free as in not having to pay some ISP by becoming you're very own.
I currently have the only AP for at least 4-5 blocks, it would be great if I had geeky neighbors who'd like to give it a try. I'm sure this idea is as old as dirt by now, but it was the first thing I thought of when I read this.
I saw this -
$20 per month for the first 6 months (regular price: $40 per month)
and thought, damn that's really good for 2.2mbps down wireless internet, then I saw
Monthly transfer: up to 20 GB (download) and 5 GB (upload)
I wouldn't want any kind of internet that gives you limits. I don't know how often I'd use 20GB a month but I'm sure it's very often (lots of bittorent downloading, websites full of flash animations and streaming video, and even games.) If you play UT 2K3 for just 4 hours a day, 25 days a month (that's like coming home from school or work, and playing a few hours) that's around 2 gigs or 1/10th your total bandwidth, for something that uses hardly any bandwidth (around 5-6K/sec and remember there's also hundreds of mutators on like every server and then 10 meg maps.) And how's the upload speed? Latency? I dunno I like the idea of having a wireless ISP and it'd be really cool for a laptop, I don't think this should be uses as your main ISP alone.
The above sounds good, but I'm more worried about the small prints:
"The monthly price is for data transfer of up to 20 GB (download) and 5 GB (upload). A charge of $10 applies per additional GB per month. If you didn't opt for a 24-month Fido Agreement, you're eligible for a smaller discount and your service must remain activated for 90 consecutive days."
20GB/5GB should be enough for anyone really using it as a 2nd connection, but considering the price (40$/month after the 6th month), most people will want to use this as their primary connection and better watch out for extra charges (although people using cable might already be used to those transfer limits).
The whole package seems like a nice deal anyway, but I'm kind of worried about the saturation of frequencies these days...
They're really a specialised use entry more than anything else. Because this service has a 20 GB download and 5 GB upload cap before you start paying through the nose for bandwidth, both cable and DSL broadband seem like a better deal.
You'd have to be quite a road warrior to need your broadband access to follow you all over town. Wouldn't it be easier to just rely on wired access being where you need it, and then putting it up with WiFi?
Yeah, my parents weren't happy with my calls to Russia... But they had some good software I really wanted. I didn't understand why they were so upset, I did have the money to pay the phone bill.
>Personally, I think it should be considered false advertising to advertise "up to" anything. Vendors should have to provide a guaranteed minimum.
Personally, I think it's up to the consumers to decide which non-essential service is right to them based on accurate information provided. Fido isn't lying to you, this is the maximum possible speed. If it isn't enough information, and you can't manage to get more info from Fido, it's absolutely Caveat Emptor.
Lots of people are mentioning the 20/5 GB cap for this service and I was wondering if anybody has Telus DSL with their (insanely low, in my oppinion) cap of 5/1 GB cap. Do they ever come after you after that? I avoided them like the plague when I came to Alberta.
This is intended as a *REPLACEMENT* for your home broadband, not as a portable solution. The "portable" modem is about as big as your cable modem is. The pricing is about the same as Shaw or Telus. The portability of it is just an afterthought, and a nice touch if you want to move your computer around from one room to the next.
As for why you would want this, there are still lots of places in the GVRD where you can only get Telus OR Shaw or possibly neither, and if it turns out your Telus connection drops out several times a day (like ours at the office does), this is a viable alternative without Shaw telling you there's no cable to your building, but for $1000 they'd be happy to pull it there for you. Not like that's ever happened with me or anything...
On a side note, Verizon Wireless is rolling out CDMA2000 1X-EVDO throughout the US. Currently, Washington DC and San Diego are online. Service is $80 a month for unlimited. It runs 1-2mbps. Where there is no 1X-EVDO service, it drops back to 1X-RTT (~60kbps).
OT:
Anyone else notice the ads for the "ROKU network music player" Quite a nifty looking device, and if I were looking for a network music player, I'd look into it. But you'd have to pry my audiotron from my cold dead hands.
Karma: Can only be portioned out by the Cosmos.
Christ, on some 56k dial-up plans Australians are charged AUD$140 (USD$100+) per GB. $10 would be fantastic!
And that's a 20GB allowance. Dial-up plans here these days have 200MB/month (!), and ADSL plans are often the same for the cheaper (AUD$30) plans.
If you were giving away 20GB for $30-40/month here, you'd have everyone buying into it.
'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
just the thought..
r.
And I wonder why they don't use a real product, like SOMA Networks (www.somanetworks.com). 12 Mbps and integrated voice. Imagine if Fido could start competing on "landline" voice service as well? Or Bell Canada in Telus land...without having to lease lines or own copper?