From Internet to Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi): A Study of Wi-Fi Public Hotspots Users [Part 2]

From Internet to Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi): A Study of Wi-Fi Public Hotspots Users [Part 2].

E. PATRICK UDEH, ABD, MBA.
espatfame@aol.com
Prof_udeh@yahoo.com
pudeh@tourou.edu
epu@berkeleycollege.edu
admin@wstudy.org

New York City
August 20, 2006




Cont'd from Part 1

and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), which made many types of equipment incompatible.

IEEE 802.11b
In 1999, seeking to continue the invention of a speedy way to send data via unlicensed airwaves, engineersworking on a standard for wireless local-area networks borrowed from existing technologies Ethernet's data packets, the Internet's routing protocols, and spread spectrum's use of many channels within a frequency band. The result is information delivered at speeds up to 11 Mbps in the 2.4-GHz band, and at a range of about 300 feet. IEEE 802.11b is the most successful WLAN technology to date. It offers only three available non-overlapping channels, meaning spectrum is scarce, and even with advanced modulation schemes, and interference is a problem.

IEEE 802.11a
802.11a provides up to 54 Mbps in the 5 GHZ band. It was standardized in 1999 but its products started to appear in 2001. Its strength is highspeed and lower risk of radio frequency interference than either 802.11b or 802.11g. This is because it is operating on a different band. In addition, the band gives it up to twelve non-operating channels instead of three available to 802.11b and 802.11g. The 802.11a also towers over the two in performance. The 802.11a uses a more advanced encoding scheme,orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which is the key to its faster speed. OFDM also utilizes bandwidth more efficiently while reducing interference. 802.11a got a boost in November 2003, when the FCC released an additional 255 MHz of spectrum in the 5.470-5.725 GHz band for unlicensed wireless devices, which increases the availablespectrum by 80 percent.

IEEE 802.11g
802.11g promises complete interoperability with 802.11b and transmission rates up to five times (54 Mbps) on the same 2.4-GHz band. The drawback of 802.11g for a high-performance network is that it stillresides in the crowded 2.4 GHz band and is therefore subject to the interference issues that plague 802.11b. It also has three non-overlapping channels.

Wireless Devices
Devices such as laptop computers, personal digital assistant (PDAs) and cellular phones enabled with Wi-Fi can send and receive information to and from the Internet, anywhere within range of an access point (AP). Omni directional Wi-Fi access points are currently capable of transmitting signals up to 300 feet at up to 54 mega bits per second (mbps). Wireless fidelity Internet access promises relatively secure, high-speed Internet access from thousands of hotspots in restaurants, libraries, schools, bus terminals, airports, parks and other public places with access points (Couper, 2004). According to Langos (2003), Wi-Fi is fast becoming one of the dominant transmission delivery mechanisms because of its low cost and high bandwidth (Langos, 2003). As a result, wireless fidelity (802.11) has caught the attention of major technology companies.

Wireless Major Players
Apple kick-started the market in 1999 with the incorporation of Wi-Fi in its iBook portable for the low price of $99.00 (Langos, 2003). The giant chipmaker, Intel also launched its wireless mobile computing technology ?Centrino?, which is designed to help manufacturers build notebooks that use less power, and promotes extended battery life along with wireless network capabilities (Spooner, 2003). Intel Centrino mobile technology includes a specialized mobile processor, related chipsets and 802.11 wireless network function that have been optimized, tested and validated to work together(Intel, 2003). The entry of these major players has increased the number of Wi-Fi enabled devices in the market.
A broadband Internet connection is seen as a facilitator to electronic commerce, e-government, online education, telemedicine, telecommuting and overall economic prosperity. Therefore, government and non-profit organizations have supported its development by promoting the establishment of free public ?hotspots? for citizen use, while businesses have created commercial public hotspots for subscription fees.

EARLY WI-FI PUBLIC HOTSPOTS
The early free hotspots were championed by tech-enthusiasts, like Anthony Townsend of New York among others, who pioneered the early deployment of a free Wi-Fi public hotspot in Bryant Park,Manhattan-New York City. In 2001, Sky Dayton (founder of Earthlink Inc.) began Boingo Wireless Inc., which established early commercial Wi-Fi public hotspots that charge subscribers fees for service. Boingo provides Internet access via Wi-Fi to over 1300 hotspots around the US(Langos, 2003). Another major player is T-Mobile, a subsidiary of deutsche Telecom AG, which provides Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet service in public hotspot locations such as Starbucks coffeehouses, Border Books and Music stores, FedEx Kinkos, the airline club of American, Delta, United and U.S. Airways.

In recent years, other players have joined the deployment of both commercial and free public hotspots, which resulted in the development of thousands of hotspots. There are about 5,000 free hotspots and 16,000 commercial hotspots worldwide (Langos, 2003). Researchers predict there will be around 180,000 hotspots worldwide enabled with Wi-Fi, the popular protocol for delivering high-speed Internet service, by 2007 (Biddlecombe, 2003).