Broadband Wireless Internet Access (BWIA) News

Cheap Wireless Really Changes Things

I'm down with my annual cold/flu affliction that seems to be part of the price to be paid for living in the Seattle area. I'm backed up on meaty BWIA news and information that I really should blog, FOCUS is overdue, and I could barely croak through my news segment on Wireless Tech Radio this morning.

But tonight I read a story that stirred me from my "check the mail to see if I'm missing anything vital, then back to bed for a few hours" mode I've been in for the last couple of days. In this story, Broadband Wireless Internet Access, in the form of self-installed Wi-Fi played a minor, but pivotal role in "connecting two of the six billion brains on the planet"* in a rather special way:

Kitty11_3 turned out to be a 22 year old girl from Hanoi, who, like her father, works for the state-owned oil company. She had managed to get five of her neighbors in the Hanoi suburb where she lives to go in on a DSL line and WiFi which she had set up herself.

Kitty11_3 earns about $100/month - apparently middle class in Hanoi, but apparently DSL is expensive enough that to be affordable, she has to share the cost with five neighbors. She was able to do it herself with Wi-Fi.

I've said for a long time that the reason that Broadband Wireless Internet Access is important isn't because it's Wireless, it that wireless happens to be a far more practical, and in many cases more cost-effective way to get Broadband Internet Access to many... or perhaps even most... of the citizens of the planet. Wireline technologies and distribution systems will get us only so far before they become impractical or non-cost-effective. Similarly, we won't get there with wireless telephony systems that were designed for voice and suffer from that limitation. There's something in the middle with the advantages of wireless, and the capabilities of wireline broadband - Broadband Wireless Internet Access, which originally entered the popular consciousness as Wi-Fi, and lately, WiMAX.

You can read the entire story of how Vu My Dun met John Perry Barlow, courtesy of the Internet, DSL, Wi-Fi/BWIA, and Skype here. Recommended!

* "Connecting two of the six billion brains on the planet" is the stated mission of Col. Dave Hughes. I can't think of a better way to describe the ultimate potential of the Internet.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh

Winncom Technologies WiMAX Seminar In Seattle (updated)

Winncom Technologies will be presenting Winncom WiMAX Summit 2005 on February 10, 2005 . It will be held near the Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) and will run from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM.

Among the vendors giving presentations are Axxcelera, Alvarion, Bridgewave, and Orthogon Systems. I'll be looking foward to hearing what the WiMAX strategy is for Axxcelera and Bridgewave is; Alvarion and Orthogon have already publicly discussed their WiMAX strategies.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh.

WISP Heresies (Three Of Them, Anyway)

As part of my panel discussion at the Fall, 2004 Wi-Fi Planet Conference, I presented "Ten WISP Heresies". Following the conference, I was asked to write a short article based on that presentation.

That article has now been published on JupiterMedia's ISP Planet website in the Fixed Wireless Business section. Here's a brief intro:

WISP Heresies

Although the WISP industry is still very young, one wireless pundit says that the industry is already mired in groupthink on several key business issues.

by Steve Stroh
Editor of FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Access
[December 27, 2004]

As a writer who watches the Wireless ISP and Broadband Wireless Service Provider industry, I observe from "30,000 feet". Because I'm purely an observer and not an operating WISP or otherwise affiliated with a vendor, service provider, or analyst firm, I've developed some "unconventional" perspectives.

When I jokingly (I thought) offered to present a list of what I called "WISP Heresies" during my time on a panel discussion at the Fall 2004 Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo WISP session, moderator Alex Goldman said "Great! I'll look forward to it!" In my presentation I discussed a total of Ten WISP Heresies, but space only permits an extended discussion of what I consider to be the three most compelling "Heresies."
...
WISP Heresy #10: Invest In Better Systems Up Front
WISP Heresy #7: Competition From… Where?!?!?!
WISP Heresy #5: WiMAX Isn't Almost Here…For WISPs

The full article is online at http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/business/2004/stroh_heresies.html.

At some point in the near future, I'll post the other seven "Heresies" here.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh

Wireless Tech Radio News For January 5, 2005

Welcome! We're here to bring you the best of Wireless Technology Talk Radio.

Remember - you can send Instant Messages the Wireless Tech Radio host and co-hosts who will try to get your questions to the guests.

AOL Instant Mesenger (AIM)/Apple iChat:
Jim Sutton (Host): jimsuttonva
Marlon Schafer (Co-host): marlonoffice
Steve Stroh (Co-host): stevestroh2
(Do you use Yahoo or MSN Messenger (or another IM system) and would like to submit questions and comments via those other systems? Let us know - email [email protected]

Because of the fast-paced nature of the show, the host and co-hosts generally can't monitor email while the show is in progress.)

This week's news segment will be Steve Stroh's Top Ten Wireless Stories of 2004:

1. The debut, development, and success of Wireless Tech Radio!
   
2. Wide-Area Wi-Fi Networks Proliferate
1. Philadelphia's proposed city-wide Wi-Fi Network. The legislative assault instigated by Verizon brought this trend, and the obvious threat it poses to landline and wireless telephone companies out into the open
2. IDT's Wi-Fi Network for portions of Newark, New Jersey will be built specifically to provide Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Over Wi-Fi telephony service
3. Many, many announcements of wide-area Wi-Fi Networks- likely averaging to more than one major announcement per week
   
3. WiMAX
1. 802.16-2004 standard is completed, basis of WiMAX compatibility suites
2. WiMAX Forum began the year with approximately 60 members and more than thripled that figure through the course of 2004
   
3. WiMAX hype reaches fever pitch - 70 Miles! 70 Megabits! Built Into Laptops! Sigh...
   
4. Term "Pre-WiMAX is born and instantly overused
   
4. Lots of jostling in the in Wireless Telephony
1. Cingular acquisition of AT&T Wireless
2. Announcement of Sprint Wireless / Nextel Merger
3. Nextel's 800 MHz for 1.9 GHz spectrum swap was approved
4. Sprint and Nextel between them control 80%+ of the commercial 2.5-2.69 GHz licenses in the US... with no stated plan for that spectrum from either company.
   
5. AT&T Wireless brand to resurface on Sprint
   
6. Verizon bulks up with spectrum purchases of Qwest (now also on Sprint) and Nextwave Wireless (finally ending that sad chapter in spectrum misallocation)
7. AT&T Wireless / Cingular and Verizon begin serious deployments of EDGE and 1xEV-DO respectively - kind of 3G and kind of broadband. Still too expensive.
8. Death of Monet Mobile Wireless
5. Emergence of Craig McCaw's Clearwire
1. McCaw's star power now being applied to Broadband, Fixed Wireless
2. Stealthily bought spectrum licenses around the US, including Clearwire, which it's now using (spiffed up quite a bit) as its brand
3. Also bought equipment vendor NextNet Wireless for field-proven systems (but [cringe] Pre-WiMAX)
4. Agressive pricing and stated goal of providing telephony service using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
   
6. Chinese require WAPI security standard for sales of Wireless Local Area Network equipment in China
1. Only Chinese vendors can get a license from Chinese goverment to embed WAPI
2. Caused a diplomatic tiff at the highest levels of US diplomacy - Secretary of State Powell chides the Chinese
3. Chinese back down shortly before WAPI requirement date
4. By end of year, Chinese reinstate requirement for WAPI
7. Boeing Connexion Begins Commercial In-Flight Wireless Internet Access
1. Secret to success of real broadband connection in the air is an electronically steerable phased array antenna system on the fuselage
2. Overseas airlines first to deploy Connexion
   
8. New technologies emerge
1. VANU Software Radio Approved By FCC
2. Flarion/Nextel demonstrates that there's more out there than just 3G, Wi-Fi, and WiMAX.
3. MIMO Quietly Emerges
4. Atheros debuts a single chip that incorporates 802.11B/A/G standards. Maybe now we'll see some significant 802.11A (capable), reasonably-priced equipment
5. With the ink barely dry on IEEE 802.16-2004, 802.16 goes back to work on 802.16e to implement broadband mobility
6. IEEE chartered 802.11 subcommittee S to incorprate Dynamic Wireless Mesh Networking in to 802.11
7. IEEE also charterted 802.22 to develop technology for Broadband Wireless Internet Access systems to operate in the television broadcast spectrum, license-exempt, without causing interference to incumbent television broadcasting use
8. 802.15.4 - AKA Zigbee, was approved. Zigbee is short range, low data rate, very efficient (battery life measured in month) wireless standard - think thermostats
9. Not to be outdone in the technology development department... crackers (hackers, to some) created "Bluesnarfing" and other exploits for the relatively weak security of Bluetooth links built into many current-generation wireless phones.
10. The Nintendo's next generation handheld gaming system, the DS, comes standard with Wi-Fi so two DS users in close proximity can do battle against each other.
    
9. The FCC was very busy
1. Proposed license-exempt sharing of television broadcast spectrum
2. Released 2.5 GHz band reorganization plan
3. Declared that private venues such as airports and college campuses cannot regulate the use of license-exempt wireless equipment like privately-owned Wi-Fi gear
4. To date, the FCC is still losing the argument with the NTIA and DOD about WLANs jamming RADAR systems, so the "new" 255 MHz of spectrum at 5.4 GHz still isn't available for use
5. Approved Broadband Over Powerline (BPL) as another broadband delivery option... to the fury of Amateur Radio Operators and a lackluster reception by electrical utility companies
6. Declared that - Free World Dialup, a Voice Over Internet Protocol "Telephony-like" service that's not connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)... is not a Telecommunications Service.
7. Will study the potential for allowing cellular telephony "picocells" in planes. Oh joy!
8. Unbundled Network Elements Provisions of 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act are finally killed... again... really dead this time. The wireline telephony cackle with glee. It's impressive what $Billions in legal and lobbying fees... all fully reimburseable by ratepayers, can accomplish. Broadband Wireless Internet Access Service Providers don't exactly rush to defend their wireline-based competitors
10. The "You can't do that!" department
1. TowerStream Boldly Goes... Into Chicago, and spectrum-crowded LA using license-exempt spectrum and offering businesses service level agreements
2. First free VOIP/Wi-Fi HotSpot is started in Portland.
3. Reasonably-priced, non-proprietary VOIP/Wi-Fi Phones emerge. They work really well in coffee shops with free Wi-Fi across the street from the headquarters of major wireless telephony companies.
4. Death Of Cometa. Yup... turns out that you can't deploy lots of Wi-Fi HotSpots that way.
   
13. Amazing how for Hutzpah will get you... YDI Wireless assimilated Ricochet Networks (on its fourth? life now), Karlnet, and Terabeam.
    

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh. This article originally appeared on Wireless Tech Radio's WirelessTechLog.

BWIA Change Log For 1Q 2004 Updated

Updated Postings:

• 2005-01-04 - Philadelphia Proposes Citywide Wi-Fi Network to include text of a WSJ article on the subject.
• 2005-01-03 - Wireless Relief Being Organized for Tsunami-impacted Areas to include another potential assistance organization - Geekcorps.
• 2005-01-01 - Administrivia - Back To Writing About BWIA (Here) to include the 4.940 - 4.990 Public Safety band. (earlier updates won't be listed as they backdated as posted.

Backdated Postings:

• 2004-03-25-2004-12-31 - Reposting of articles on Corante / Broadband Wireless Internet Access from first article on March 25, 2004 through October 12, 2004.
• 2003-03, 2003-04, 2003-06, 2003-08 - Reposting of articles from my second Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog from March, April, June, and October, 2003. These entries were originally posted at www.strohpub.com/weblog (which is now a redirect to www.bwianews.com).
• 2002-12-16 - Posted "US Military Claims 5 GHz Wireless LANs Can Interfere With RADAR?"; it was in queue to be posted, but apparently was not posted at the time.
• 2002-06-08 - 2002-12-17 - Reposting of articles from my original Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog from June 8, 2002 through December 17, 2002. I found, to my delight, that in checking the Radio Userland server in late December, 2004, the Radio Userland server that hosted my original Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog has been "healed". When I looked at it last, with the hopes of extracting my previous postings from it, it was... "messed up" and there were only a few of the postings available. Now it looks like they're all there, and I've copied them over with a few minor updates such as extracting portions of some postings to standalone postings on more appropriate dates. These "reposted" postings are accessible via the Archives listing on the sidebar.
• 2001-11-07 - Part 18 RF Lighting: A Potential "Extinction Level Event" For Communications Users Of The 2.4 GHz Band. This article was originally posted "standalone" as an example of the articles published in FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Access. The HTML formatting was a mess (saved as "HTML" from Microsoft Word) and since I was updating it, it made sense to post it on the Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog. The original URL for the article - http://www.strohpub.com/0701feat.htm, was widely linked to from, among others, Robert X. Cringely and Slashdot, so I placed a redirect from that URL to this version of the article.

Background: A great thing about weblogs and web pages is that they can be changed to reflect updated information. A bad thing about weblogs is that since they're organized chronologically, it's tough to find a page that has been updated.

I plan to post a lot of "back-dated" material to this weblog, as well as occasionally update a particularly seminal posting. To call attention to those new (but not visible since their date will be previous to the current date) and updated (added to or otherwise changed the text from the original) postings, I'll maintain this Change Log posting, and change the date to the current whenever I make a backdated posting or update and repost it. I'll list the changes and updates in reverse chronological order so you'll see the most recent changes first.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2004-2005 by Steve Stroh.

Citywide Wi-Fi for Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe Arizona

The Wi-Fi projects for the three cities are in different phases of planning and/or deployment. Particularly notable is that Tempe's project is being done in conjunction with Arizona State University; the ASU students will certainly know how to make good use of a public Wi-Fi Network.

Links: MSNBC story, originally reported by Jenifer Javia of The Business Journal of Phoenix. Thanks for the intial tip from Wi-Fi Planet (Week of January 3-7, 2005).

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh

Wireless Relief Being Organized for Tsunami-impacted Areas (updated)

From my reading and contacts, I'm aware of four distinct efforts underway for Communications-related relief for the tsunami-impacted areas of Southern Asia.

#1 - Post-Tsunami Reconnect
Mike Outmesguine, as Chairman of the Southern California Wireless Users Group (SOCALWUG), is organizing individuals and companies that would like to offer Broadband Wireless equipment, expertise, and support for the areas impacted by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Southern Asia. Links are for an initial posting on what Mike calls Post-Tsunami Reconnect, and a 12/31/04 Progress Report.

Outmesguine's contact information is [email protected] and telephony 1-818-889-9445 ext. 102.

To date, smartBridges has pledged a donation of equipment to Post-Tsunami Reconnect.

Thanks to Glenn Fleishman, Wi-Fi Networking News, for the pointer to Outmesguine's efforts.

#2 - Relevant information from the isp-wireless mailing list:

(begin isp-wireless posting 1)
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [isp-wireless] Tsunami
Date: December 30, 2004 04:17:58 PST
To: [email protected]

Dear all,

The Indonesian Information Technology (IT) community wishes to facilitate the relief efforts to our brothers and sisters in Aceh (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, NAD), North Sumatra and other affected parts of the Indian Ocean which were badly hit by this disaster.

http://www.airputih.or.id

This community is supported by APJII (Indonesia Internet Service Provider Association), FTII (Indonesian Information Technology Federation), IndoWLI ( Indonesia Wireless LAN Internet Association), etc.

Contact information :

Deputy Coordinator 1: Ahmad Khalil Alkazimy (HP: +62-813-1608-5757 email:[email protected], YIM : ahmadkaz)
Internasional Affairs Advisor: Idris Sulaiman (HP: +62-811-11-1312 email:[email protected])

Thank for all people who participate , contribute and help.

Taufik
(end isp-wireless posting 1)

(begin isp-wireless posting 2)
From: [email protected]
Subject: [isp-wireless] Tsunami relief
Date: December 31, 2004 07:38:00 PST
To: [email protected]

I have had a response from the the individuals listed at this website:

http://www.airputih.or.id/en/

I am listing there equipment needs below.

INITIAL LIST OF REQUIRED EQUIPMENT NEED FOR THE IT-MEDIA CENTERS:

- Electronic Generator Set, batteries AA-size rechargeable for Handy Talky VHF and the battery chargers (60 rechargable batteries and the battery packs)
- Additional Handy Talkies (5-10 units)
- 5-10 Notebook and Geographic Positioning System (Compas, Altimeter, Barometer)
- Cable RG8 VHF (for transmission radio/HT) minimal 30 meter and its connectors
- Power supply minimal 30A, 12 volt DC
- Repeater VHF with duplexer and antena omni directional high gain (standard)
- VSWR meter VHF/UHF
- HT VHF duplex mode and tone control
- antena HT mobile/for cars VHF and bracket + cable
- a pair of GHDSL modem (point to point mode)
- Converter DC to AC 300 - 500 watt
- Complete VSAT unit (ODU, IDU) with 2.4 m antena either DVB RCS or SCPC
- 2 - 5 pairs of wireless 2.4 ghz units complete with omni antenaes and parabolic grid and mounting plus cables, connectors, power over Ethernet dll. including outdoor box with amplifier (0,5 - 1 watt)

Please send equipment to:

Indonesia Information Technology and ISP Association (IITF - APJII) Office
Cyber Building 11th floor, Jl. Kuningan Barat No 8, Jakarta Selatan
12710 Indonesia
Phone: +62-2-5296 0634, Fax +62-21-5296 0635, email: [email protected]

Peggy
(end isp-wireless posting 2)

#3 - Wireless Communications Association International (WCA) Convenes Meeting on January 13, 2005 To Discuss Communications Assistance to Tsunami-impacted Areas In Souther Asia

(begin WCA Press Release)
For Immediate Release
Contact: Olga Ranaweera
Email: [email protected]
1333 H Street, NW Suite 700 West
Washington, D.C. 20005
tel: 202-452-7823; fax: 202-452-0041
website: www.wcai.com

WCA Organizes Relief Effort For South Asia Disaster & Wireless Infrastructure Needs At Jan. 13 Meeting

WASHINGTON, DC (Dec. 29, 2004) – In response to the devastating earthquake and corresponding tsunamis in South Asia, the Wireless Communications Association International (WCA) announced organizational efforts within the wireless broadband industry leading to a meeting on Jan. 13 during WCA’s annual International Symposium and Business Expo in San Jose, CA.

The Jan. 13 meeting will foster industry efforts on immediate disaster relief, both monetary and in vitally needed equipment for First Responders. Participants also will help plan for longer-term infrastructure needs especially suited to the emerging capabilities of wireless broadband.

The Hon. Devinda Subasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States, commented on WCA’s goal:

The Embassy of Sri Lanka looks forward to working with WCA and its member companies on this critical initiative, which will support relief efforts and have a long-term impact on rehabilitation of the areas devastated by this natural disaster. The government of Sri Lanka will be examining the capabilities of wireless companies, both with gratitude and with understanding of our long-term infrastructure needs.

With a growing regional death toll now estimated at 80,000+, the 9.0 earthquake originating offshore near Sumatra in Indonesia created powerful tsunamis that devastated also shorefront areas of Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia and the Maldives, and as far away as Africa’s East Coast. This produced one of the world’s worst recent natural disasters. The island nation of Sri Lanka is one of the worst-afflicted countries, with over 23,000 killed and 1.5 million left homeless. More than 45,000 so far are reported dead in Indonesia in this unprecedented tragedy.

WCA’s meeting will leverage WCA members’ expertise into short-term and long-term relief. Short-term, industry leaders will organize a task force to raise money and to coordinate equipment donations for effective emergency deployment. Also, the task force will plan longer-term infrastructure advisory services for the region, building upon ongoing work within WCA’s Wireless Broadband Public Safety Task Force. It convenes bi-weekly conference calls, and is preparing a “Best Practices” guide helping First Responders increase their capabilities for challenges ranging from emergency warnings to critical post-event communications.

“Fast-response is exactly what both the public and its leaders expect from the wireless broadband industry,” commented WCA President Andrew Kreig. “This relief effort after the tragedy in South Asia is a logical outgrowth of the industry’s post-9/11 responses. Industry members were able then promptly to provide vital help for New York City and Washington, DC. Since then, an especially strong industry priority has been to foster advanced technologies that can help First Responders and underserved communities worldwide.”

WCA’s South Asia disaster organizational breakfast on Jan. 13 is at 7 a.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, and is open to any interested potential volunteer and the press. For planning purposes, non-WCA members should RSVP to WCA’s Olga Ranaweera ([email protected]), who can provide also a VIP pass to the convention.

(end WCA Press Release)

#4 - Amateur Radio Involved In Emergency Communications For Tsunami-impacted Areas In Southern Asia

As could be expected, Amateur Radio Operators in the affected areas were able to provide emergency communications. The ARRL is a primary source of general information on Amateur Radio in the USA.

Indian Ham Radio Team Heads To Disaster Scene (Common Sense Technology)

Asian Radio Amateurs Bridging Communication Gap following Tsunami (ARRL)

Amateur Radio "Saved Lives" in South Asia (ARRL)

Winlink 2000 Helping with Southern Asia Disaster Communications (ARRL)

Nineteen mentions in Google News search for "Amateur Radio" and Tsunami

Some Groups That Potentially May Assist In Re-establishing Communications Infrastructure In Tsunami-impacted Areas Of Southern Asia

"CommGeeks Without Borders"
In an 2002 article I mentioned "CommGeeks Without Borders", and my memory is that the mission of the group is a good fit for the communications needs of the tsunami-impacted areas. Unfortunately the link in that article no longer works, and I was unable to find any other reference to this group. Any help would be appreciated.

Engineers Without Borders / Ingénieurs Sans Frontières
Reading the various Engineers Without Borders sites, the organization(s) provide long term development assistance and are not organized for, nor are attempting to, provide immediate services in the Tsunami-impacted areas. Given their overall mission, it see
seems likely that they will be involved in longer-term communications restoration projects.

Engineers Without Borders International

Engineers Without Borders USA

Engineers Without Borders Canada

Geeks Without Borders
No mention of Tsunami Relief... or much information at all, but from what little I can glean, Geeks Without Borders would seem to be an organization that might potentially become involved in communications work in the tsunami-impacted areas.

Partners In Technology International
While there is no mention at present on the PACTEC web page of a specific response to the recent tsunami in Southern Asia, Partners In Technology (PACTEC) is an international organization that provides aviation and communications support (including impressive capabilities with satellite communications) to non-governmental agencies and organizations in developing and disaster areas. PACTEC's capabilities are obviously a good fit for communications needs of the tsunami-impacted areas.

Volunteers In Technical Assistance (VITA)
Like Engineers Without Borders, the primary mission of Volunteers In Technical Assistance (VITA) is long term projects. There was no specific mention of tsunami relief on the VITA web page.

Update: Yet Another Group That Potentially May Assist...
Geekcorps (likely the group that I mentioned above as "CommGeeks Without Borders") is recruiting volunteers that have experience with Wi-Fi to work in West Africa. Again, there was no specific mention of tsunami relief on their web page.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh, except for identified excerpts from other sources.

Arraycomm Tutorial On Smart Antenna Systems

David Isenberg pointed out what looks like a good overall tutorial on "Smart" (adaptive, dynamic array, beam-forming) antenna systems, at the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), written by ArrayComm.

ArrayComm is in an excellent position to write such a tutorial. Their IntelliCell antenna system is well proven in the cellular industry, and in Broadband Wireless Internet Access with its iBurst system.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh.

Administrivia - Guiding Philosophy Of Broadband Wireless Internet Access

The well-known author Don Lancaster wrote A Final Thought (from memory, it was in Don's amazing book Incredible Secret Money Machine II), and it beautifully reflects my philosophy of writing on the subject of Broadband Wireless Internet Access.

Steve Stroh

A Final Thought

Many years ago, I was attending a folk concert. The opening act was a single flute player, performing in front of the closed stage curtains. His job was to warm up the audience for the high priced help to follow. He was good. Very good.

But as he went along, the music started getting strange and ultimately downright weird. He started playing chords on his flute, along with notes having unbelievable tonal structures. Eventually, the music had turned into bunches of impossible sounding and god-awful squawks.

Almost all of the audience got bored and restless as the music seemed to deteriorate. Just then, I happened to notice the friend beside me who had played in and had taught concert band. He was on the edge of his chair with his mouth open.

He turned to me and, speaking very slowly, said simply “You can’t do that with a flute.”

Of the thousands of people in the audience, at most only five realized they were now witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime performance involving the absolute mastery of a very difficult musical instrument. To pretty near everyone else, it just sounded like a bunch of god-awful squawks.

Always play for those five.

Administrivia - Back To Writing About BWIA (Here) (updated)

As of January 1, 2005, I will resume writing about Broadband Wireless Internet Access on this venue, Broadband Wireless Internet Access. For most of 2004, I wrote about Broadband Wireless Internet Access on Corante. Writing there was an interesting experience and a worthwhile experiment, which is now at an end. During December, 2004 I have re-posted here all articles that I have previous posted - on Radio Userland, strohpub.com, and Corante. Because this format is so useful as a chronological reference, I will "backdate post" articles of significant events in 2004 (and perhaps earlier) for which I did not post an article at the time. Backdated entries made after January 1, 2005 will be noted in the change log posting that, as it is updated, its date will be made current so that readers will be aware of it.

Notification Mailing List
I am considering the development of an email mailing list to notify readers of new postings to Broadband Wireless Internet Access. This will be a semi-manual process as this capability isn't native to Blogger and doesn't seem to be available as an add-on. If you are interested in being added to a Broadband Wireless Internet Access Mailing List, please send me an email message using this link: BWIA New Posting Notification Mailing List.

Future (?) Features for Broadband Wireless Internet Access
I have previously used Radio Userland (lost a lot of writing with it), Microsoft Word (produces really terrible HTML), Movable Type (heavily customized), and Blogger. Of all of them, I find Blogger to now the overall best environment for posting online articles. It has many of the capabilities which were lacking in other environments such as "post by email" and spell-checking, and excellent WYSIWYG/HTML editor, and especially important to me, Blogger works well with Macs and the FireFox browser. In short, Blogger is more than good enough, and in re-posting so many articles, I put its stability and ability to protect text that is in preparation to a good test. That Blogger is currently available for use for free is of little import to me - if I had to pay to use it, I would do so happily.

That said, there are a few things that Blogger lacks, that I will attempt to add:

• Slightly better "presentation"; I hate the orange "header", but I picked it for the layout and it appears to be a delicate operation (to my untrained eyes) to change only the color scheme
  
• Better RSS Feeds (not sure if RSS is still needed, or Atom is now sufficient)
  
• Statistics / Visitors tracking
  
• Trackbacks
• Integration with aggregators such as Technorati
• Graphics! I finally figured out how to do graphics without excessive pain, and so you can expect lots of graphics on articles in 2005

No Comments Section
Based on my observations of how badly other comment systems are abused (and not just the spamming, but posting of uninformed (terribly so, at times) comments, I'll likely continue to not offer a comments section. I'll make it clear that feedback is encouraged and appreciated, but mostly of the "Letters To The Editor" basis, which I may, or may not, choose to reprint and reply to as a new article or an update to a previously posted article.

2005 - Year of WiMAX...
2005 will be the most formative year for Broadband Wireless Internet Access since I began writing about the subject in April, 1997 in my Wireless Data Developments column in Boardwatch Magazine. Many of the developments in 2005 will relate to the WiMAX systems being finally certified and beginning production. WiMAX is the "glamour" story of Broadband Wireless, and the majority of press and analysts won't bother to look beyond WiMAX.

Advertising on Broadband Wireless Internet Access
In addition to Google Adsense ads, I plan to solicit "direct" advertising on Broadband Wireless Internet Access to help to reliably cover my base expenses - hosting, Internet connectivity, telephony (Skype is great, but...), and rent for my small office. If your company is directly related to Broadband Wireless Internet Access and you'd like to advertise where readers look specifically for information on Broadband Wireless Internet Access, please email me.

But non-WiMAX May Be Bigger
But, the bigger story in 2005 will be the parallel development and deployment of non-WiMAX systems that will often exceed the performance and cost-effectiveness of WiMAX systems. Technologies such as:

• Cognitive / Huerestic techniques to automatically avoid interference with incumbent systems such as television broadcasting
• Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) (mandatory for 5.250 - 5.350 GHz and 5.470 - 5.725 GHz
• "Smart" / Phased Array Antenna Systems
• Dynamic Wireless Mesh Networks
• Mobile Broadband
• Public Broadband Wireless Internet Access Infrastructure Using Wi-Fi Clients (Wi-Fi HotSpots / HotZones)
• Very robust modulation techniques - FHSS, PPM, BFSK
• Other modulation techniques such as DOCSIS for "wireless cable modems"
  
• And others

and spectrum such as:

• License-exempt sharing of television broadcast spectrum
• 700 MHz
  
• 902-928 MHz (US and Canada)
  
• 2.400 - 2.483 GHz
  
• 4.940 - 4.990 GHz (US Public Safety)
  
• 5.250 - 5.350 GHz (mid-UNII band)
  
• 5.470 - 5.725 GHz (proposed additional 255 MHz in US)
  
• 24 GHz
• 60 GHz
• 70-80-90 GHz

are not (yet) addressed by WiMAX's plans to focus system profiles to use OFDM modulation, operating in the 3.5 GHz licensed (non-US), 5.8 GHz license-exempt, and 2.5 GHz licensed bands, in that order.

FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Access
As in years past, my primary outlet for in-depth discussion of Broadband Wireless Internet Access technology, vendors, service providers, and industry developments will be in my newsletter, FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Access. In addition to completing the final year of FOCUS as a subscription newsletter, I plan to complete and release my book (possibly books) on Broadband Wireless Internet Access, and re-post all my previously written material on Broadband Wireless Internet Access (that weren't works for hire and thus owned by the client) with the exception of 2004 and 2005 issues of FOCUS (which I will re-post in 2006). I plan to continue to co-host Wireless Tech Radio, whose coverage of the wireless industry will be more important than ever in 2005.

Coming Attractions
In 2005 I will begin an exciting project that will meld the best aspects of FOCUS and Wireless Tech Radio - details to follow in the near future - thank you Dewayne, Jim, and Esme for the inspiration and encouragement in this new and exciting venture.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh.