Broadband Wireless Internet Access (BWIA) News is a publication of Zero Retries Publications and is written by Steve Stroh, an independent technology writer.
Broadband Wireless Internet Access (BWIA) - why so wordy? When Steve Stroh began writing about BWIA in 1997 about access to the Internet via various wireless technologies that were fast (Broadband), it was rare that all of those factors - Broadband plus Wireless plus Internet Access were combined together.
In 1997, "Broadband" was often applied to cable television, and less often to high speed connections to services that weren't Internet (such as America Online - AOL). Thus the other descriptors of Wireless and Internet Access were needed to describe what Steve was writing about.
In 1997, "Wireless" was almost always applied to mobile telephony, with "data" sometimes tacked on (equivalent to using a modem with a landline phone). Thus the other descriptors of Broadband and Internet Access were needed to describe what Steve was writing about.
In 1997, there were Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), but not the universally interoperable 802.11B (and follow-on) standards that "Wi-Fi" is based on, nor were WLANs typically used for access to the Internet. There were no publicly accessible WLANs (or Wi-Fi Hotspots as they were briefly called).
In 1997, there was Broadband Internet Access, but rarely via Wireless, thus the other descriptor of Wireless was needed to describe what Steve was writing about.
In 1997, there was Wireless that was Broadband, but was largely confined to "backhaul", not access to the Internet. Thus the descriptors Internet Access were needed to describe what Steve was writing about.
In 2021, it's the norm that all of those factors - Broadband plus Wireless plus Internet Access are combined together. It's assumed that if you are using wireless, it's always Internet Access at Broadband speeds. But Steve's been using the term BWIA for so long it's now an ingrained habit.
The goal of BWIA News, the former FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Newsletter, and now the Independent Broadband Newsletter is to offer original, independent, unique, in-depth, dedicated perspective on significant developments in the BWIA industry.
BWIA News includes content that has been consolidated from previous sites, the FOCUS On Broadband Wireless Internet Newsletter, other blogs by Steve Stroh, and original content from Steve Stroh dating back to 1997 when he began writing professionally about Broadband Wireless Internet Access.
BWIA News provides brief mentions of selected developments in the Wireless industry relating to providing Broadband Internet Access, and related fields, technologies, and industries. Significant developments are often discussed in depth in the Independent Broadband Newsletter. BWIA News also features previews of the Independent Broadband Newsletter - subscription information here.
Thanks for reading!
Steve Stroh
Bellingham, Washington, USA
This page last updated 2021-03-16