Behold! The Wireless Future

Over the last few years, wireless network technologies such as Wi-Fi have emerged from the mainstream. Not only has the cost of equipment for Wi-Fi fallen by huge margins, the underlying technology itself has evolved to the point, where Wi-Fi has now become a very good low-cost alternative to the traditional wired LAN connectivity that delivers for homes and small offices.

As Wi-Fi continues to grow in popularity due to its ability to deliver the Internet on the move, an increasing no of gadgets have sprung up that are able to utilize Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi hotspots have mushroomed worldwide that promise high-speed, low cost internet connectivity.This has placed a lot of strain on existing wireless setups and has given rise to certain concern in various circles as to the future of wireless networking. For this many groups and bodies have been working on establishing new standards which would work on boost existing technologies and resolving issues that plague them. In this article we will be mentioning two of of these technologies and the promises they bring with them.

Wi-Fi 802.11n
Assume you are sitting in a Barista enjoying coffee, while using the Wi-Fi connection to surf the internet on your laptop. Here the Wi-Fi signal would be full and fast, and the speeds you would enjoy for surfing would be great. Now you have finished your coffee and have decided to leave Barista. This is where the problems would start. At just a short distance of less than 100 feet away, your laptop would no longer pickup a Wi-Fi signal and would lose all connectivity with the internet. So unless you decide to go back in and have another coffee or hang around just right outside the shop… the expensive prepaid credit you have just purchased would probably waste, since you are no longer connected to the internet.

A Typical Wi-Fi 802.11n Home Network Router

This is one of the fundamental problems of current generation Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi speeds right now, are restricted to just about a theoretical 54 Mbit/s (20-25 Mbit/s real world speeds) and can travel to a maximum distance of 25 meters before it fades away. For addressing these problems IEEE –SA, the body that governs the development of the Wi-Fi standard decided to come up with a new 802.11N standard. This new standard while retaining backwards compatibility with current standards promises a quantum jump in speeds. The theoretical speeds go up from around 54 Mb to around 540 Mb while the distance it will be able to cover will increase to 50 Meters.

In real life numbers such a jump will actually translate into 10x faster performance. This means, not just products based on 802.11N will be able to cast a wider We-FI signal, it would also mean these products would continue to maintain the speed, the moment you start moving away from the main access point. This would be a real boon for Wi-FI users as it would allow them to move more freely around a WI-FI zone without losing speed and connectivity.

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Despite the fact that 802.11N has not yet been ratified as a full standard it has already got the fancy of many PC manufacturers. Companies like Apple, Linksys, and Dlink are already offering 802.11N pre draft products. We plan to review a few of these products pretty soon… so watch this space.
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WiMAX
While Wi-Fi is a relatively inexpensive proposition, it is not the answer in the long run for the future of wireless connectivity. Due to its limited nature, it very quickly becomes tiresome for a wireless provider to Wi-Fi an entire city after all you have invest a lot in infrastructure for making sure there is an even signal everywhere.This is where WiMAX steps in.

The best way to understand the difference between the two would be to imagine Wi-Fi to be your cordless landline phone and WiMAX as your mobile. While both provide wireless communication, a cordless has limited range and scope. Take it outside your house and the signal is dead. A mobile on the other hand has no such restrictions. It can be taken anywhere within a city and it can even seamlessly roam onto another network when you are out of the city thereby providing you uninterrupted coverage. Now take this same e.g. in the case of internet connectivity.Would it not be wonderful if you had broadband speeds on your laptop with automatic roaming and seamless connectivity?

This is why WiMAX has such importance. WiMAX unlike Wi-Fi is a technology designed to deliver Internet and LAN connectivity over a large area. Its original name was “WirelessMAN” or wireless metropolitan area network. In terms of speeds of speed and coverage it has a wireless range of 50 kilometers and can provides a shared data rate of up to 70Mbps. With its immensely wider coverage area and more consistent speeds it holds in its expansive grasp the future of wireless connectivity. It already has the support from some of the biggest names in the business such as Motorola and Intel. Intel the world’s largest chipset maker is one of the chief promoters of WiMAX so it won’t be too long before we begin to see a new platform from them that have WiMAX embedded.

Currently the WiMAX standard is being managed by the WiMAX forum. This body will ensure that there is interoperability between products that will utilize this technology. For this it has put together a rigorous testing system. Any product that passes the test will be allowed to use the “WiMAX Forum Certified” designation. They will be able to display this mark on their products and market it accordingly.

WiMAX test projects are already underway in several parts of the world. Closer home, WiMAX has attracted the interest of not only the private telecommunications industry but the government as well. There have been plans underway since 2004, to use WiMAX to deliver Internet connectivity in rural areas. Some studies indicate that by 2012, India will not only have full-fledged countrywide WiMAX networks but there will be nearly 20 million subscribers who will be connected to the internet using WiMAX.