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Digital Wireless Services Reach Hits 97 Percent
About 278 million people, or 97 percent of the total U.S. population, live in counties where operators offer digital mobile telephone service, according to the FCCs Eighth Annual State of Competition Report on the wireless industry. Digital subscribers made up approximately 88 percent of all mobile telephone subscribers at the end of 2002, up from 80 percent at the end of 2001. Mobile data services generated only 1 percent of total industry revenue during 2002 and an estimated 11.9 million, or 8 percent, of the 141.8 million mobile telephone subscribers at the end of 2002 subscribed to some type of mobile Internet service. An additional 2.3 million consumers subscribed to mobile Internet services on data-only mobile devices at the end of 2002.
Read the full story on: InternetNews.com
World Telecom Conference Agrees on New Global WLAN Spectrum
Delegates at the International Telecommunication Unions World Radiocommunications Conference 2003 (WRC-03) last week reached an agreement that will add 455 MHz of new spectrum in the 5-GHz band for wireless LANs on a global basis with few restrictions. The agreement reached at the conference in Geneva resolved a sticking point between the European Union and the United States over outdoor use of the 5-GHz Wi-Fi band. John Giusti, deputy division chief in the Strategic Analysis and Negotiations Division of the Federal Communications division of the Federal Communications Commission, said it was resolved by allowing member ITU states to choose whether they want to restrict the 5250-to-5350-MHz portion of the band to indoor use only.
Read the full story on: Computerworld
Spectrum Bill Sent to Full Senate
The Senate Commerce Committee last week completed the mark-up of a bill that would clear airwaves for private companies to deploy additional third generation (3G) wireless services. The Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act, introduced by Commerce Committee Chairman McCain (R-AZ), Senator Dorgan (D-ND) and Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Burns (R-MT), seeks to help federal agencies relocate to comparable wavelengths to make way for private wireless carriers advanced wireless service offerings to consumers. The government already identified the 1710-1755 MHz band, used mainly by the military, for relocation to the private sector. The bill will go before the full Senate floor for ratification. The House passed its version of the Spectrum Enhancement Act on June 11 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 408 to 10.
Read the full story on: InternetNews.com
Verizon Wireless Sues Nextel
Verizon Wireless last week sued Nextel, charging its rival with industrial espionage. In a suit filed in federal District Court in Alexandria, Va., Verizon alleges that Nextel obtained a prototype of a forthcoming phone, and then used it to obtain “unauthorized access” to the Verizon network to check out its walkie-talkie feature. Nextel replied in a written statement saying: “We are baffled by the claims made by Verizon Wireless. We are still in the process of reviewing the filing, but we believe it is entirely without merit and we will defend Nextel vigorously.”
Read the full story on: TheStreet.com
IDC: WLAN Coming to Almost All Notebooks
Wireless LAN (WLAN) chips will plummet in price and show up in almost all notebook PCs by 2007, according to a new study by research company IDC. The company estimates that most notebooks will have WLAN built in by 2005, and by 2007, 98 percent will come with it. IDC analyst Ken Furer predicted 91 percent of those systems will be equipped with 802.11a/b/g chipsets. This year, about 42 percent of notebooks will ship with wireless LAN included.
Read the full story on: InfoWorld
Asante Offers 802.11g Card for PowerBooks
Asante Technologies last week released the AeroLAN AL5402-XG, an 802.11g-compatible wireless networking card that utilizes the CardBus interface found on latter-day PowerBooks. Asante said the card works with the latest version of Apples AirPort drivers, making it possible for users of non-AirPort Extreme-equipped PowerBooks to upgrade to faster wireless networking. The AL5402-XG carries a suggested retail price of US$99.
Read the full story on: MacCentral