5.4.2 WiFi ou WiMAX

O WiMax e a rádio

«(...) WiMax is even better than WiFi -- that very local wireless way computers and phones can connect to the Internet.
WiMax would give consumers high-speed access to the Internet using phones, mobile devices and laptops. Mobile video might benefit the most because WiMax would allow high quality pictures to be transmitted over the air.
(...) The eventual construction of a high-speed, wide-area quality wireless link to the Internet has tremendous repercussions for the traditional radio industry that would just like all technology to go away and let it return to transistor radios.
Universal WiMax would make it seamless for consumers to have Internet-based music, information, communication with them everywhere. The advantage that radio transmission now has -- it's everywhere and it's free -- would be reduced to one thing.
It's still free. (...) If automakers are including WiFi capability in some new cars, can you imagine what WiMax -- a much wider range signal from transmitter to transmitter -- would mean to terrestrial radio operators?»

Jerry Del Colliano, Watch WiMax Inside Music Media, 17/04/08

O (lento?) avanço do WiMax

«From NewsFactor.com: “The trademark ‘SprintSpeed’ could take on a whole new meaning in 2008, as the telecommunications firm moves ahead with plans to deploy its long-awaited WiMAX service, known commercially as Xohm. “[Recently,] the company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that a soft launch of the service to Xohm employees in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is now under way.

“The show in Las Vegas was a busy time for Sprint. In addition to the soft launch, the company has announced a number of new Xohm agreements** for portal services and WiMAX devices…

“The promise of WiMAX technology is remarkable: data transmission speeds as fast as 70 Mbps over distances as great as 50 kilometers. Transmission speeds do drop over distance, however, and it is a shared-bandwidth technology, so actual mileage may vary. A more common metric for the service is 10 Mbps over 10 kilometers. Nonetheless, WiMAX offers the potential for significantly faster and far-reaching wireless Internet than cellular data transmissions or the more well-known WiFi» fonte:

WiMax chega a Espanha

«The WiMax Forum said its lead certification lab is open for formal Mobile WiMax certification testing and evaluation of Mobile WiMax products.
The organization called this a step to bringing service providers closer to offering mobile broadband Internet to consumers.
That means vendors can begin submitting 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz Mobile WiMax equipment for testing.
The lab is at AT4 Wireless in Spain; four other labs are planned in the United States, Taiwan, China and Korea.
“With today’s announcement, certified Mobile WiMax products are projected to reach the commercial market in early 2008. The WiMax Forum expects hundreds of products to be submitted for testing,” it stated, calling the announcement an important milestone, particularly “relative to alternative mobile broadband technologies such as LTE which are several years behind WiMax technology.”
The Forum says 300 operators in 65 countries have deployed Mobile WiMax pilots and trials».

Wi-fi em Manhatan

«(...)CBS Mobile Zone’ will provide free WiFi service through more than 20 city blocks extending from Times Square north to Central Park South and from Sixth Avenue west to Eighth Avenue. “Certain locations already are up, and the whole area is expected to be outfitted by month’s end, CBS said…“Users who access wireless in the CBS zone will first get to an advertising-supported homepage hosted by the network. The page will feature local and national news, wallpapers, ringtones, maps featuring local restaurants and entertainment options and social networking and search options» (fonte: «CBS to provide free WiFi in midtown Manhattan» RAIN 29/11/07

Sprint acaba com pacto para desenvolver o WiMax

«Sprint Nextel and Clearwire called off a plan to join forces to build a nationwide high-speed wireless network using WiMax technology. The companies said they could not come to agreement on terms of the deal, announced in July.
Sprint had positioned WiMax as a way to let customers surf the Web on laptops, cell phones and other portable devices at speeds up to some five times faster than cellular networks now offer. The company had intended to launch mobile broadband services in initial markets by year-end and planned a larger rollout encompassing 100 million customers by the end of 2008.
Sprint says this week it remains committed to developing WiMax and is on track for a soft launch this year in the Chicago and Baltimore/Washington markets, with commercial launch in 2008.
A source told The Washington Post one of the things the companies could not agree on was how many cell towers each company should build to support WiMax and the pace of that deployment. Now that Sprint is “hobbled” with WiMax, there’s a question as to how fast other companies, such as Intel and Motorola, can roll out the technology, analysts told the Post. One said the Sprint news “was not a death knell” for WiMax, but is certainly a sign that its rollout is further out than previously believed.»

fonte: «Sprint, Clearwire End WiMax Collaboration», Radioworld, 16/11/07

 

«A inércia da rádio vai salvá-la?»

de um artigo de Skip Pizzi no Radio World:

«There is also a natural reluctance to jump into new services when they first launch — particularly if there is a cost involved (for hardware and/or service). The typical predilection — even among relatively open-minded early adopters — is to “give it some time” to stabilize, mature, work out the kinks, etc., by which time many such new offerings have already given up the ghost.
(...) Next up is wide deployment of wireless broadband (WiMax, etc.), which brings substantial portability and otherwise increased availability (i.e., higher Convenience) to Internet radio. It is unlikely that wireless Internet radio will ever match local radio’s user friendliness, however, particularly in terms of one-button, instant access.

Yet wireless Internet radio’s proliferation of portable, narrow music formats may actually hurt satellite radio more than it does local radio. Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?»

fonte: «Will Radio’s Inertia Be Its Savior?», Radio World, by Skip Pizzi, 11.07.2007

Importantes desenvolvimentos do WiMax (EUA)

«Last week in Chicago, Sprint hosted a river boat tour for a group of technology journalists and industry insiders designed to show off its newest project: WiMax wireless technology. The product, dubbed "Xohm: WiMax from Sprint", showcased the potential of the new wireless technology, which uses high-power antennas to transmit wireless signals over much larger distances than a traditional Wi-Fi system. Guests were encouraged to use the variety of devices on board, from laptops to cell phones, over the wireless network set up by Sprint around Chicago's downtown area. (...) According to Ars Technica, the Xohm network is slated for a full launch in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington D.C. by March or April 2008. Sprint plans to follow the launch with a nationwide rollout, and should reach all major markets in the U.S. by the end of 2008»

«U.S. auto buyers, however, won't have to wait until next year to get wireless Internet access on-the-go. The Ford Sync system, developed in tandem with Microsoft, is landing in an increasing number of 2008 models, and as this video shows off, delivers a simple Internet radio solution to consumers via the Sync system.
For a technology like broadcast radio that has enjoyed "ubiquity" for decades in cars, homes, and every other place radio waves reach, the advent of universal wireless Internet access should be seen as a healthy chance to expand their businesses to a new medium. These two developments reflect the booming consumer demand for Internet in the everywhere and all-the-time varieties. Like panelists and experts repeatedly pointed out at the NAB Radio Show, broadcasters would be smart to give the people what they want.»

fonte: «WiMax, new autotech reflect growing options for broadcasters». RAIN, 01/10/07

Um rádio wi-fi. Para o carro?

«Radio is dead, right? Not according to a little company called Phoenix. These guys brought their A game to the Digital Life convention today, showcasing a line of Wi-Fi radios and wireless speakers that look and sound good enough to compete with the big boys….almost. The Com one Wi-Fi radio sports an integrated W-LAN chip that automatically detects and connects to existing wireless access points. Once connected, it allows you to search for and listen to any number of currently available Internet radio stations. The on board LCD displays relevant track information, and there are 8 programmable favorites buttons that allow you to key in your 8 favorite stations. Very convenient. It’s a solidly built unit, and the built-in speakers sounded okay, but we wish they had either scrapped them entirely, or settled on a more sophisticated pair. Oh well. That said, there is a line out jack allowing you to connect and interface with external speakers of your choice. At the end of the day, this is a cool little unit, but Phoenix has a bit of work to do before they can step to the likes of Tivoli and others. Another shot after the break!»?

fonte: «Phoenix Com one Wi-Fi radio», BoyGeniusReport, Joshua Karp on Sep 29, 2007

Retrocesso nas redes wi-fi (EUA)

«USA Today reports that several cities are shutting down their plans for municipal free or cheap city-wide Wi-Fi. The reasons are cost and complexity. In the long run, of course, there's no doubt that the Internet will be everywhere we need it - which is everywhere. Nor is there any doubt that it will reach into our cars sooner rather than later. Still, the threat posed by these municipal programs to the radio industry - namely: A world where folks can stream any online station anywhere in town instead of and in addition to your station - that threat has receded somewhat into the future, it seems. Will other solutions rush in to fill the gap? Eventually. Consumers will demand it.» fonte: RAMSEY, Mark, «Municipal Wi-Fi? Not just yet», Hear2.0, 20/09/07

O WiMax é tanto uma oportunidade como uma ameaça

«The rollout of platform-neutral wide area broadband wireless networks, such as Sprint Nextel's Wimax-based Xohm, will provide both challenges and opportunities for terrestrial radio, says a recent report from radio audio research firm Bridge Ratings. In a Sept. 12 report entitled The Impact of Wireless Internet, Bridge projects robust growth in wide-area wireless broadband connectivity, with nearly 100 million subscribers by the end of 2010. Coinciding with that gain is a projected Internet radio listener base of about 77 million. Based on the projection above, Bridge analysts predict both terrestrial and satellite radio Time Spent Listening (TSL) will slide as the decade draws to a close. For terrestrial broadcasters this represents a move from just less than 20 hours to 14.5 hours weekly. But satellite TSL is set to take a slightly more pronounced dip from its current level of about 21 hours weekly to a level equivalent that of terrestrial broadcasts. The good news in the report concerns terrestrial radio revenue. With internet-generated revenues already offsetting traditional spot dollar losses to support the current plateau for radio at about $21 billion annually industry-wide, Bridge says that growth in online ad sales could actually serve to boost that figure to over $25 billion in three years. Read the entire report at:www.bridgeratings.com» (fonte: «Bridge Ratings: Wireless broadband will be Two-Edged Sword for Radio», Digital radio Update,m 19/09/07

Net cada vez mais portátil (WiMax)

«From SiliconValley.com: "Notebook computers should begin reaching stores with the next generation of wireless technology — the long-range technology WiMax — by late 2008, Intel confirmed Friday.  "The Santa Clara chip maker this week began shipping a chipset — or package of chips — that includes WiMax to computer makers for testing, said Sriram Viswanathan, a general manager. It anticipates the product, called Echo Peak, will be available commercially in late 2008... "It will be built into portable computers and mobile Internet devices, making access to WiMax networks easier. Intel has delayed the release of the product several times."»

fonte: «high-power wireless net to be built-in in laptops, mobiles in '08», RAIN, 06/08/07

O que rádio que tem é o último que vai comprar?

Diz Mark Ramsey: «It is very likely that the so-called "radio" you now own will be the last one you ever buy».

Tudo por causa da explosão, que se adivinha, das redes 4G dos telemóveis, a tecnologia wi-Max: «Analysts are bullish on the prospects for Wi-Max. Boston-based Yankee Group is forecasting 28 million subscribers by 2011, while research firm In-Stat says Wi-Max infrastructure equipment and devices will become a $5 billion market within four years, up from $177 million today. Wi-Max "will enable all sorts of new devices we've never even thought of," says Fred Wright, senior VP for networks and enterprise at Motorola. "Any applications that are cumbersome today because the cell phone can't provide a fast enough data rate, those will be the sweet spots Wi-Max will be able to address."

Internet sem fios através da televisão?

«A coalition of large technology companies wants to bring high-speed internet access to consumers in a new way: over television airwaves. The six that make up the coalition - Microsoft, Google, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Philips - want the Federal Communications Commission to allow idle TV channels, known as white space, to be used to beam the internet into homes and offices, writes the Washington Post. But the FCC must first be convinced that such traffic would not leak outside designated channels and interfere with existing broadcasts. If a device submitted to government labs passes muster, versions could hit stores by early 2009. The new device would create competition among phone and cable companies that deliver high-speed Internet potentially driving prices down and would make it possible to deliver broadband to rural areas. Google joined the coalition because the effort could create opportunities to transmit information over new platforms. It also might strengthen Google's hand should the traditional internet pipelines - big phone and cable companies - start charging internet companies higher prices to move content more swiftly to consumers. »

fonte: «Tech Giants Pushing Use of Airwaves for Internet», MarketingVox, 14/03/07

LA cidade wifi em 2009 (e Houston também)

«Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa outlined plans Tuesday to blanket Los Angeles with wireless Internet access in 2009, in what would be one of the nation's largest urban Wi-Fi networks.
The L.A. Wi-Fi initiative would give Los Angeles residents, schools, businesses and visitors uninterrupted high-speed Internet connections — for work, research, Web browsing or even phone calls.
More than 300 municipalities nationwide already have launched plans for similar networks based on the Wi-Fi technology that has become popular at coffee shops, bookstores, public parks and countless other so-called hot spots. Such networks are operating in parts of such cities as Anaheim, San Jose, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore.
"With L.A. Wi-Fi, we are dedicating ourselves to the idea that universal access to technology makes our entire economy stronger," Villaraigosa said. Municipal Wi-Fi networks cost on average $125,000 per square mile to set up and maintain, depending on building heights and the city's terrain, according to city officials. At that cost, the price tag for covering Los Angeles' 498 square miles could reach more than $62 million.Internet providers and equipment makers have estimated such costs at about $40 for every home covered by the network. That would work out to almost $54 million in Los Angeles. (...) "This is pretty amazing," said Esme Vos, who founded MuniWireless.com, an authority on municipal projects nationwide. "It's a large area, yet an urban project. That's kind of new." (...)

fonte: LA Times.com, «L.A. mayor wants citywide wireless access», By James S. Granelli and Tony Barboza, Times Staff Writers
February 14, 2007

«Earthlink will be the company building out the network at a cost of as much as $60 million. The Atlanta-based company will foot the bill, not the city. For its part, the city will provide right-of-way access for Earthlink's network infrastructure. • Earthlink will allow access to the network to other Internet service providers at a wholesale cost of $12 a month. Those ISPs will then charge their own rates to users, using markups or other means to make money. How this happens is key to the plan's success -- more on that in a moment. • The network will cover the city's 600 square miles. In theory, you'll be able to connect anywhere within the Houston city limits. • Discount rates will be set for low-income residents, possibly as low as $10 a month. The city is investigating how to best get them the often-costly hardware necessary for accessing the wireless network.  • There will be free zones, in places such as parks and libraries. When the project is completed in about two years, Houston will have the largest citywide Wi-Fi network in the country. That is, unless until Los Angeles beats us to it.» fonte: «City Wi-Fi coming, but will it be worth what you'll pay?» Houston Chronicle, 15/02/07

São Francisco, cidade wifi

«[São Francisco] vai distribuir gratuitamente acesso sem fios à internet em todo o seu território. Mais de 777 mil habitantes terão um acesso continuidado e gratuito, onde quer que estejam na cidade, em casa ou na rua. A iniciativa -inédita não só nos EUA mas em todo o mundo - é da câmara municipal, que estás prestes a fechar as negociações com a Earth Link, a empresa que fará a distribuição do acesso (...)» (MIguel Martins, EXpresso/Única,  13/01/07 pag 92)

O WiMax desenvolve-se na GB

«Ofcom, the UK's the broadcast regulator, has tagged WiMAX mobile wireless as a likely source of revenue for the public purse. It has announced "the UK's largest single release of radio spectrum, which could be used for a range of new services such as mobile broadband and advanced wireless services". (...) But it's no secret that WiMAX operators are expected to pounce. "Ofcom's research into the bands has identified a number of potential uses of the spectrum," the regulator announced. They include:

• mobile broadband wireless services, offering high-speed, high-capacity mobile data connections using technologies such as WiMAX;
• mobile multimedia services, such as mobile television;
• advanced mobile services using technologies such as UMTS and its evolutions; and
• mobile broadcast, such as wireless cameras for outside broadcasts and temporary or portable video links.

fonte: «Ofcom helps inflate the WiMAX hype bubble», The register, Guy Kewney, Newswireless.net, Published Monday 11th December 2006 11:07 GMT

Sobre o primeiro «receptor» WiMax

« Intel Corp. moved one step closer to developing its own mobile WiMAX solution on Wednesday when the company announced it had completed the design of its first WiMAX baseband chipset for use in laptops and other mobile devices. According to Intel's executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officers Sean Maloney, the new WiMAX Connection 2300 is a combination of the company's new chipset design and the previously announced single-chip, multi-band WiMAX/Wi-Fi radio. The chipset design was demoed on Wednesday during Maloney's keynote at the 3G World Congress and Mobility Marketplace in Hong Kong, where he showed a Centrino Duo mobile laptop with mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), and high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) 3G capabilities successfully accessing the Internet at broadband speeds over a mobile WiMAX network. According to Dave Hofer, director of wireless marketing for the mobile platforms group at Intel, the announcement of Intel's WiMAX Connection 2300 will help further speed the deployment of mobile WiMAX, which is already moving along at a steady pace he said. "Our aim with WiMAX is to provide personal anytime/anywhere broadband connectivity," said Hofer. "This is a step along the way. We're at a point where, in 2007 and 2008, you're going to start seeing product samples."»

fonte: «Intel Develops Mobile WiMAX Chipset», PC Mag, 12/7/06 

Sobre a primeira rede de wiMax/4G (EUA)

«Sprint Nextel will build the first nationwide mobile WiMax network, giving 100 million Americans wireless Internet access four times faster than current high-speed networks by the end of 2008, Sprint CEO Gary Forsee said at a press conference today. The "4G" (fourth-generation) network will launch by the end of 2007, Forsee said. Prices will be considerably less than current data charges, said Sprint CTO Barry West. (...) "Sprint is actively engaged with [consumer electronics] product leaders," according to Forsee. Motorola, Samsung and Intel will all help build Sprint's WiMax infrasutructure. Consumers should expect to see a whole range of different kinds of devices on the network, including "new, small types of PCs," said Intel executive vice president Sean Maloney, also present at the press conference. (...) Mobile WiMax, otherwise known as 802.11e, will boost real-world download speeds to 2-4 megabits/second, Forsee said. "Much of this 4G usage will be user-generated content," Forsee said. "Imagine accessing and building MySpace and YouTube literally on the fly."  (... But the advantage of Mobile WiMax isn't just that individual download speeds will rise. It's that Sprint's virtual "pipes" will be able to support more simultaneous users at less cost, West said, and that WiMax chips cost "around 1/10" the price of those of competing technologies.»

fonte: PC Mag, «Sprint Nextel Goes To The WiMax», 8/8/06 

Mais uma cidade wifi (Portland)

«PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 15 (AP) — Microsoft and MetroFi say they will work together to build a free wireless Internet service for Portland, Oregon’s largest city. MetroFi announced late Tuesday that it would introduce the Wi-Fi service in Pioneer Courthouse Square, a popular gathering place in downtown Portland, by the end of the year and expand it to the rest of the city within two years. Microsoft will provide locally focused content and advertising through its new search advertising system, adCenter. The system, intended to compete with Google, allows advertisers to single out users based on browsing habits and factors like their sex, age and location. MetroFi operates Wi-Fi networks in several Silicon Valley cities and has agreements with 13 cities across the United States to develop municipal networks. MetroFi, based in Mountain View, Calif., will pay to create and maintain the system. The company said the service would be maintained through advertising revenue. Users can receive advertising-free service for $20 a month»

fonte: «Microsoft Will Join in Free Wi-Fi Effort», via NYT, By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Published: November 16, 2006

O primeiro «receptor» wiMax

«Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday showed off a three-way gadget that's a phone, personal computer and music player tailored for an emerging wireless broadband technology. The Mobile Intelligent Terminal was unveiled at a Samsung-sponsored industry conference on Mobile WiMax, which is just coming into use and promises fast broadband connections over long distances. The device weighs about a pound and contains a fold-out keyboard, 5-inch screen and 30 gigabyte hard drive. It runs the full version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP operating system and also supports the CDMA mobile phone communications standard, which is used in South Korea and other countries including the United States. Kim Hun-bae, Samsung vice president for mobile research and development, told reporters that the gadget is the world's first WiMax device that also works as a mobile phone. It also can access the Internet, make video phone calls and display television as well as other video. The Suwon, South Korea-based company said it plans to launch the device in South Korea during the first half of 2007. Samsung didn't mention any plans for marketing the device in the U.S. and other markets. It also didn't provide a price. WiMax has been strongly backed by Samsung, which is cooperating with U.S. companies Intel Corp., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Motorola Inc. to commercialize it in the United States. South Korea is the first country to commercialize WiMax, which promises fast wireless broadband connections and mobile roaming. Limited trials of Mobile WiMax are under way in South Korea, with plans to cover the capital, Seoul, by early next year. Sprint Nextel has said it aims to launch WiMax networks in some U.S. markets by late 2007, working with Samsung, Motorola and Intel. Samsung is confident WiMax technology will soon become a global standard, a top executive said Tuesday. "We have established a standard in (South) Korea, but it won't take long to spread throughout the world," Lee Ki-tae, president of Samsung's telecommunication network business, told reporters.»

fonte: Washington Post, «Samsung Unveils 3-Way WiMax Gadget», By KELLY OLSEN, The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 7, 2006; 4:55 PM