Most businesses don’t benefit from speedy wireless networks

You may bemoan the speed limits on Canada's highways. You may look to Germany's famous autobahn, with virtually no speed limit, and wonder, "Why not here?" But if the government increased the limit to 200 kilometres per hour, how much would you really benefit? Could your vehicle take advantage of the increased speed, or would you be puttering along at, say, 160 kilometres per hour? This is where businesses and enterprise increasingly find themselves today. Data speeds are increasing, but few can actually leverage this increased speed. Rogers Wireless Inc. rolled out HSDPA in the Golden Horseshoe last year, a 3.5G protocol that promises higher mobile data transfer rates, but most applications continue to work at half-speed, Philippe Lozier, Rogers Communications' GM, channel development and support, told attendees at the 2007 Wireless and Mobile Expo and Conference/ RFID Forum in Toronto earlier this month."We're at (HSDPA) revision 5. Revision 5 can handle a theoretical output of 6 - 7.2 Mbps. Effective? Half that," he said. "The limiting factor today is that there are no devices that support 7.2. They may be 7.2 ready, but the software loads aren't there today. So the fastest (wireless PC) card we offer is a 7.2 card, but it only works at 3.6 Mbps. And that's a fact." Applications just aren't up to speed. Developments on the application front have remained narrowly focused on a limited number of important sectors. "In the wireless world, things haven't changed all that much from a core application perspective," Lozier said, reflecting on his 13 years in the industry. "Machine-to-machine, mobile worker and fleet management remain, and will remain, the key applications."Wireless fleet managementFleets have capitalized on wireless applications for years; GPS, asset tracking and other wireless applications have long been a staple in their logistics and transportation business models.Likewise, machine-to-machine applications are stalwarts of the industry. SCADA systems have seen a lot of growth, Lozier said. Parking control measures, he said, are often guided by wireless initiatives. "A lot of parking meters are now wireless-enabled. You can have the parking meter talk to the on the street with a handheld. He'll then know exactly when the meter expired and can go over to the vehicle," he explained.Wireless has helped increase the flexibility of POS and ATM terminals. Retailers can move these stations around storefronts to maximize consumers' use of the machines and their store space. Lozier, however, isn't advocating wireless for all. "If you can do wireline cost effectively, then do wireline. I'm not going to force the issue of wireless."Nevertheless, Rogers is hard at work constructing bigger and faster pipes, setting the stage for an increasingly wireless future. "Revision 6 is coming, and that'll give you faster upload speeds, and revision 7 will give you broadcast and multicast capabilities. The pipes are getting bigger and faster. The ultimate goal is LTE (Long-Term Evolution), which is typically considered 4G. That'll give you mega-pipe," he said. "It's so big that I won't get into any of the specs." Although data transfer rates are increasing, enabling greater communication levels between employees and consumers, Lozier doesn't expect enterprise to truly benefit - at least not yet. "My guess is big pipe will have limited impact on large enterprise, who tend to have more ingrained applications that require more back-end work," he said after his presentation. "My guess is the impact will be better for those in the small to medium space than the enterprise space." Mobile workers rewardedFor the time being, it looks as though mobile workers will also reap the rewards. HSDPA, WiMAX and Wi-Fi rollouts are making it easier for mobile workers to keep connected with their jobs and clients. Rogers' customers using the HSDPA network can take advantage of video calling to get some all-important face-to-face time with their clients and coworkers. Rogers' Vision service, launched last spring, is still rudimentary: images are sent at a speed of 15 frames per second and the camera's angle isn't always flattering. But it is paving the way for greater human connection in a world where business partnerships are becoming increasingly faceless.The deployment of personal and portable broadband access could prove to be instrumental to keeping workers connected. Inukshuk Wireless Inc., a joint venture between Bell Canada and Rogers, established broadband services in more than 90 centers across Canada in the 2.5 GHz band, including approximately 25 more remote, cottage country areas, according to Lozier.Rogers' personal broadband service, with an external modem that Lozier dubs "not the most elegant form factor," allows users to remain connected to their jobs, even while vacationing. "The concept here is, contextually, rather than you going to a location to access broadband, you take your broadband with you," he explains. "You just unplug the modem, throw it in your car and drive up to the cottage. If you have coverage, it'll work, with no roaming fees."The solution is pre-WiMAX, although Lozier said the 802.16e standard is being tested, but with "no firm plans for deployment yet."Perhaps most promising for the mobile worker is Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile 5.0 (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/microsoftprograms/default.mspx). Last May, Rogers Wireless announced the availability of High Tech Computer Corp.'s (HTC) TyTN pocket PC, featuring tri-band HSDPA, Quad Band EDGE and a QWERTY keypad. While the Rogers service boasts Windows' messaging, email and PC-synched calendar applications, it does not offer users the full suite of Microsoft Office applications offered with Windows Mobile v.6. Lozier hinted that this could soon change. "You will see a preponderance of Windows Mobile applications in the future. That's all I can say."Mobile workers, and their employers, may be enthused by the higher speeds, greater capabilities and better range afforded by wireless access - but like with anything in life, there is a downside."Networks are pervasive and always on. The growing expectation is that you too, will always be on," Lozier pointed out.

Most businesses don’t benefit from speedy wireless networks

News | July 31, 2007

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