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Broadband
Telecommunications |
Technology: High Earth Orbit Satellite
Links: ISKY.net,
Starband,
Tachyon.net,
Promised speed: Burst 400k down, ? up (Direct TV). 1.5mbps
down, 0.5mbps up (ISKY), 300-2mbit (Tachyon)
Notes and Issues:
Latency
The most widely used High Earth Orbit system is Direct TV which is
one-way but promising conversion to uplink (w-way) soon, avoiding
the modem return path problem with their product. Nevertheless,
Direct TV and other geo stationary satellite solutions have a 500ms
latency problem that cannot be overcome.
Launching "late 2001", ISKY (a competitor) say one 26" dish can
serve 8 computers, at 30 times faster than a 56k modem. They plan to
use the 20-30ghz range, spot beams at GEO distance.
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Technology: High Speed Fixed Wireless (LMDS)
Links: espeedza,
Sprint Wireless,
TheBeam,
Broadlink,
SpeedUS,
Sonic.net WDSL, Wavepath,
Promised speed: up to T1 speed
LMDS stands for Local multipoint distribution. This refers to
multiple transmitters -- your data reception can shift from
transmitter to transmitter, avoiding some of the problems with
tall buildings blocking higher speed wireless. LMDS is still in
its early days, but single point wireless has been around for a
while, and typically offers up to T1 speeds from a high
transmission point over an urban area. Above are some fixed
wireless internet providers. Darwin Networks is another
suggestion.
Phoenix Arizona again (See VDSL) benefits from a trial Sprint
has setup which offers T1+ speed to subscribers in that city.
Sonic.net is also selling Broadlink WDSL in Sonoma County for
$39+$19 a month for 384-1.5mb/s down, 128k up. |
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Technology: Spread Spectrum Wireless
Links: Clearwire
(128-512k), Netpipeline,
WorkNet,
Cortland Seattle,
Promised speed: up to 4.0mbps
Spread-spectrum wireless, is point to multi-point RF. A base
station is located at a high point. One method has transmitters
covering each 30 degrees of the area, beaming data to up to 100
receivers in each segment that are line of site up to above 12
miles. Close range (2 miles or less) can operate at "near line
of site". Another implementation is 360 degrees to multiple
receivers. Receivers are small, about 10 inch square, 4 inch
thick. Not affected by rain or ice, and in the 2.4ghz
unregulated spectrum. |
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Technology: U-NII Wireless
Links: Fuzion,
Promised speed: over 5mbit
U-NII is unlicensed spectrum: higher frequency than LMDS and
MMDS. Short range (5km), microwave-like, but low power. Very
high speed and point to point. |
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Technology: Low Earth Orbit Bandwidth
Links: Teledesic,
Wired Article,
Promised speed: 64mbps down 2mbps up (Teledesic)
Notes and Issues
Lack of any actual satellites
Iridium was the first and most famous
disaster in the LEO field. 2400 baud of data was never going to
make it. ICO was another, (now rescued by Craig McCaw).
GlobalStar is heading for the same stump, with just 9600 baud.
Teledesic originally promised 840 LEO satellites, now down to
288, at a low altitude of 1400kms. Teledesic is backed my His
Billness, Craig McCaw, Motorola, Abu Dhabi and Boeing. No
announcements yet on the when the first packet might get pinged
though. |
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Technology: Optical over air
Links: TerraBeam,
AirFiber,
Promised speed: 622mbps down, ? up
Terabeam is a technology that uses light to distribute bandwidth
to buildings and windows of buildings. The company is not
public, and although their website offers a nice Flash intro
into the technology, questions remain over the details. How does
terrabeam cope with swaying buildings, atmospheric interference
(weather?), what is the uplink capacity, how expensive and
reliable will the equipment be. When will it be available?
April 2000 saw TerraBeam raise another $105 million from
Softbank, Morgan Stanley, Merrill.. they better have something
cool cooking in there!
AirFiber is in beta test, funded by Nortel and QualComm..
See Forbes, August 21, 2000 |
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Technology: Hybrid Wireless/Fixed line
Promised speed: 10mbit down, ? up
In Japan the power company is planning short jump wireless
solutions from power poll to houses... avoiding the monopoly on
last mile (or last 100 feet) copper, they can operate very high
speed wireless solutions when the transmitter and receiver are
very close and line of sight. |
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Technology: High Speed Mobile Wireless (3G)
Promised speed: no details
So called "3G" high speed cellular data networks are being
planned (in the US) or built (in Japan). Europe has got some
2.5G networks up and running. Using WAP and iMode web
interfaces, cell phone networks are being upgraded to handle
data. Unfortunately, existing US infrastructure is slower than
even European GSM, so look for Japan if you wish to see the
future of hand-held wireless products. |
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Technology:
PowerLine (website)
Links:
News Story,
Media Fusion PAN,
Promised speed: 10mbit down, ? up
Powerline technologies promise to put data out over the
electricity grid, with home based equipment to decode and
isolate the data from the high voltages. A Korean company has
demonstrated the technology and is showing products based on it.
Supposedly being trialled in Texas. |
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Technology: iBLAST
(website)
Promised speed: 4mbit down
Not a broadband alternative, it is still interesting. iBLAST
uses spare space in TV signals to push out content.. claimed to
be video games, software, e-books, music and so on. Think of
this as the 21st century version of videotext (remember the
blocky pages of data that got sent and decoded by your TV?).
iBlast is signing up TV stations by the dozen, and is expected
to launch "early next year". A decoder will pass the digital
data to your PC, where we assume, special software will be on
hand to present whatever it is that has got beamed that day.
If they set things up like TiVO (check a schedule 2 weeks ahead
and pick what you'd like to save for use later), this could be
quite an interesting product.
Interestingly, iBlast is using the spectrum the government has
reserved for future HDTV use. |
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