I'll be writing more in depth about what I observed at "WCAI Expo" in the next few days but one of the more surprising things I observed there is an almost complete "disconnect" between the "Mobile WiMAX partisans" and the "Metropolitan Wi-Fi partisans". There were a number of panel sessions where speakers for one side or the other completely ignored not only the existence of the other side... but also ignored the implications of the other side. This was even evident on some of the panel sessions I attended where both sides were represented, but they chose to largely talk "past" the other side!
This was most blatant in a keynote presentation by an Intel representative that extolled Intel's vision of "Personal Mobile Broadband Devices" - a limited function, handheld device that would be always connected to the Internet at broadband speeds. To me, there were two glaring gaps in this presentation. The first was Intel's vision that the functionality of the device depended on connectivity, which completely ignores the current, and likely future success of devices like the iPod that are highly functional but not Internet-connected full-time because they make effective use of storage capability, both flash and disk.
But my second observation bothered me a lot more, and it spoke volumes about how Intel appears to be trying to create a market for Mobile WiMAX... when the functional connectivity that Intel espouses for their vision of the Personal Mobile Broadband Device is arguably available now with Metropolitan Wi-Fi networks. To Intel's credit, at least their presentation wasn't so blatant as other presenters who said "As we all know, Wi-Fi is completely unsuited for..."
While I'm not a partisan for either side - I agree that there's a place for Mobile WiMAX, and there's also a place for Metropolitan Wi-Fi, I'm simply being honest and accurate when I note that 1) the lines separating "which system will work best or most cost-effectively for a given application" are fuzzy at best, 2) the technology of both is evolving very rapidly, 3) in the end, both are capable of delivering a mobile, broadband "experience".
WISPCON in New Orleans, February 21-23, 2007
While attending "WCAI Expo" I caught up a bit with Michael Anderson, Chairman of Part-15.org which will be holding WISPCON 2007 (Wireless Internet Service Provider - WISP) in New Orleans February 21-23, 2007. Michael recruited me to speak at WISPCON 2007, I agreed, and it sure sounds like fun, not only catching up with a lot of familiar faces in the WISP industry, but also the timing of WISPCON coming on the heels of Mardi Gras! (Anderson said that there are still plenty of hotel rooms available, but it's probably best to call Part-15.org to get the particulars.)
Anderson is trying to broaden the attendance of WISPCON to present more public safety and emergency response sessions and information, holding it in still-decimated New Orleans. This is the first WISP-centric event of what I expect to be a very eventful year for the WISP industry, and I was told that there will be at least one important vendor announcement at WISPCON 2007 that will impact the WISP industry pretty profoundly.
Steve Stroh
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