Economics of WiFi Hotspots vs. Cell Towers: Which is More Cost-Effective for Connectivity?

In the fast-paced digital era, connectivity is essential. WiFi hotspots and cell towers are two prominent solutions, each with unique economic implications for service providers and users. While WiFi hotspots offer local, high-speed access in targeted areas, cell towers provide extensive, wide-range mobile coverage. So which is more cost-effective for large-scale connectivity? In this article, we dive into the economics of WiFi hotspots and cell towers to explore their costs, benefits, and strategic advantages.

Understanding WiFi Hotspots and Cell Towers

What Are WiFi Hotspots?

WiFi hotspots provide wireless internet in specific locations. Often seen in cafes, parks, and airports, WiFi hotspots are typically connected to a high-speed internet source and broadcast a localized signal to connect devices within a limited radius. Hotspots are often used to deliver internet access in public spaces or support dense networks indoors.

What Are Cell Towers?

Cell towers are large structures that enable mobile network coverage over expansive areas by sending and receiving radio signals to mobile devices. Unlike WiFi hotspots, cell towers support broader range and mobility, providing connectivity for people on the move across cities, highways, and rural areas.

Cost Factors in WiFi Hotspots vs. Cell Towers

The costs associated with WiFi hotspots and cell towers vary significantly due to differences in technology, infrastructure requirements, and range of coverage. Here’s a closer look at each:

1. Initial Infrastructure Costs

• WiFi Hotspots: Setting up a WiFi hotspot is relatively low-cost. A commercial-grade router and high-speed internet connection can range from $100 to $1,000, depending on the equipment and installation needs. Deploying WiFi hotspots across a city, however, can add up due to the high density of access points needed.
• Cell Towers: Building a cell tower is a much larger investment, often costing between $100,000 and $350,000 per tower. This includes the tower structure, network equipment, and installation. Despite the high cost, cell towers can cover wide areas, reducing the need for multiple installations.

2. Coverage and Scalability

• WiFi Hotspots: Coverage is limited to about 150-300 feet, so a high number of hotspots are needed for expansive coverage, increasing setup and maintenance costs for large areas. However, for localized coverage, WiFi is effective and affordable.
• Cell Towers: Cell towers cover extensive areas (typically 1-3 miles in urban zones and up to 30 miles in rural areas), making them cost-effective for widespread coverage. Fewer towers are needed, especially in rural regions, providing greater reach with fewer installations.

3. Maintenance and Operational Costs

• WiFi Hotspots: Maintenance is generally low, but hotspots require regular software updates and troubleshooting, especially in high-traffic areas. Upgrades to maintain high-speed connections add to ongoing costs.
• Cell Towers: Maintenance is substantial and includes periodic inspections, power requirements, and structural upkeep. However, the larger coverage area means fewer units to maintain compared to an equivalent WiFi network.

Speed, Performance, and User Experience

WiFi Hotspots

• Speed: WiFi hotspots typically deliver high-speed internet, as they’re directly connected to fiber or broadband services. Speeds are especially high in enclosed or dedicated spaces like cafes and offices.
• User Experience: WiFi is ideal for stationary usage, such as working on a laptop or streaming video at a coffee shop, where users remain within a hotspot’s range.

Cell Towers

• Speed: Cell towers provide reliable speeds across long distances, though they generally offer lower speeds than fiber-backed WiFi, especially in areas with high data traffic.
• User Experience: Cell towers provide seamless connectivity for people on the move, making them ideal for mobile phone users, commuters, and rural connectivity where WiFi is limited.

Strategic Use Cases: WiFi Hotspots vs. Cell Towers

Urban Areas

In densely populated urban areas, WiFi hotspots are often more practical, delivering fast, reliable connections in high-traffic zones. Cell towers also play a role but may face capacity issues in crowded spaces, where WiFi hotspots can alleviate network strain by handling data-heavy tasks.

Rural Areas

Cell towers are more economical for rural connectivity due to their wide coverage range, reducing the need for multiple installations across sparse areas. WiFi hotspots can still serve as complementary options for localized needs, like community centers or rural libraries.

Public Spaces and Venues

Airports, stadiums, and universities often benefit from WiFi hotspots due to the high data demand in a concentrated area. Hotspots allow these spaces to provide high-speed internet without overloading mobile networks.

The Future: Blending WiFi and Cellular Networks

With advancements in 5G and WiFi 6, the boundary between WiFi and cellular networks is blurring. Both WiFi and cellular technologies are set to become faster, more reliable, and more capable of handling large amounts of data, allowing for more strategic blending of the two.

• 5G Networks: As 5G cell towers expand, they may offer speeds competitive with traditional WiFi, supporting IoT devices and mobile users in areas previously reliant on WiFi.
• WiFi 6: WiFi 6 improves speed and efficiency in dense environments, making WiFi hotspots more viable for public venues, smart cities, and offices where high data speeds are essential.

Conclusion: Which Is More Cost-Effective?

The cost-effectiveness of WiFi hotspots versus cell towers depends largely on the type of coverage needed:

• WiFi Hotspots: More economical for dense, localized coverage and areas with stationary users.
• Cell Towers: More cost-effective for providing wide-range, mobile coverage across cities and rural regions.

In the future, both technologies will continue to play essential roles in connectivity, with WiFi excelling in specific high-traffic areas and cell towers delivering consistent coverage for on-the-go connectivity.

China Mobile Free WiFi Hotspots

Exploring China Mobile Free WiFi Hotspots: Access and Benefits

As mobile internet usage continues to rise, China Mobile is at the forefront of providing connectivity solutions through free WiFi hotspots across the country. These hotspots play a crucial role in enhancing access to the internet, particularly in urban areas, public spaces, and transportation hubs. In this article, we’ll explore the availability, benefits, and impact of China Mobile’s free WiFi hotspots on users and the broader community.

What Are China Mobile Free WiFi Hotspots?

China Mobile, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, has established an extensive network of free WiFi hotspots throughout China. These hotspots are strategically placed in various locations, including:

• Public Parks: Many parks in urban areas offer free WiFi to visitors, allowing them to connect while enjoying nature.
• Shopping Malls and Retail Stores: Major shopping centers often provide free WiFi to enhance the shopping experience and keep customers connected.
• Transportation Hubs: Airports, train stations, and bus terminals frequently feature China Mobile’s free WiFi, making travel more convenient for passengers.
• Educational Institutions: Many universities and colleges partner with China Mobile to provide students with free internet access on campus.

How to Access China Mobile Free WiFi Hotspots

Accessing China Mobile’s free WiFi hotspots is simple and user-friendly. Here’s how to get connected:

1. Find a Hotspot: Look for signage indicating the presence of China Mobile’s free WiFi in public areas.
2. Connect to the Network: Use your device’s WiFi settings to scan for available networks. Select the “China Mobile Free WiFi” option.
3. Register or Log In: Depending on the location, you may need to register with a mobile phone number or log in using a provided guest access method. Some hotspots may not require any registration at all.
4. Start Browsing: Once connected, you can enjoy free internet access for browsing, streaming, and social media.

Benefits of China Mobile Free WiFi Hotspots

The introduction of free WiFi hotspots by China Mobile offers several advantages:

1. Increased Accessibility

• Free WiFi hotspots make internet access available to a larger population, especially in areas where people may not have reliable mobile data plans or home internet connections.

2. Support for Local Businesses

• By providing free WiFi, China Mobile encourages foot traffic in shopping areas and cafes, benefiting local businesses. Customers are more likely to stay longer and make purchases if they have internet access.

3. Enhanced User Experience

• Free hotspots improve the overall user experience for travelers and residents, making it easier to navigate, communicate, and access information in real-time.

4. Community Engagement

• Free WiFi hotspots foster community interaction by providing a space for residents and visitors to connect online, share experiences, and engage with local content.

The Impact of Free WiFi on Urban Development

China Mobile’s free WiFi hotspots are part of a broader initiative to enhance urban infrastructure and digital connectivity. The benefits include:

• Smart City Development: Free WiFi is a stepping stone toward smarter urban environments, where residents and visitors can access information and services seamlessly.
• Educational Opportunities: Students and educators can utilize free WiFi for research, learning, and collaboration, bridging the digital divide in educational settings.
• Economic Growth: Improved connectivity leads to increased online commerce and innovation, contributing to local and national economic growth.

Conclusion

China Mobile’s free WiFi hotspots play a vital role in enhancing connectivity across the country, making the internet accessible to millions of users. By providing free access in strategic locations, China Mobile supports local businesses, fosters community engagement, and contributes to the development of smart cities. As mobile internet usage continues to grow, initiatives like these are essential for ensuring that everyone can stay connected in an increasingly digital world.

How to Select an AT&T Shared Data Plan

Shared Data Plan Options

Mobile Share plans from AT&T allow customers to share data across multiple devices. These new plans allow families to share a single bucket of data with smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, plus get unlimited domestic voice and text Up to ten devices can share the same plan, which includes tethering and access to AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots. Learn more about the data plan that works best for you and your mobile devices at https://www.att.com/mobileshare.  Watch this video which explains how to choose a plan and various options.

Which Cable Companies Share WiFi Hotspots?

Cable Free WiFi Hotspot Consortium 

A group of major U.S. cable companies has joined forces to offer a new Wi-Fi network that will allow each other's high-speed Internet customers to use their Wi-Fi networks across the country.  A group of 5 cable providers announced plans to partner on the deployment of 50,000 “metro Wi-Fi” hot spots under the “CableWiFi” brand. The service will allow customers of Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable to access the Wi-Fi networks when roaming outside of their home cable provider’s footprint.

The cable providers' partnership is similar to how cell phone carriers allow their customers to roam on other networks when traveling. That's intentional: The cable companies say they are looking to compete with mobile carriers' new 4G networks that make broadband-like speeds available everywhere.

"We believe that Wi-Fi is a superior approach to mobile data, and that cable provider is best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service," said Kristin Dolan, Cablevision's executive vice president of product management and marketing

For years a number of cities throughout the U.S. have floated the idea of vast Wi-Fi zones offering free Internet access, but the results have been spotty at best, often hindered by complicated business issues and even political considerations.  The roaming partnership comes as the cable industry is seeking to differentiate its offerings from rival phone and satellite companies—and when the entire pay-TV industry is trying to keep up with consumers watching greater amounts of video on mobile devices.

A similar roaming agreement was announced in 2010 by Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner Cable but it has had limited impact. The hot spots appeared on customer's devices under the separate brands of Cablevision's Optimum, Time Warner Cable's Road Runner, and Comcast's Xfinity. The service wasn't fully built out in some of the denser areas—like Manhattan—and some customers reported difficulty signing on and getting decent Internet speeds. Cablevision's hot spots have been around since 2008, but only 30% of its broadband customers have used them. Cablevision said that about 250,000 customers use its Wi-Fi every day.

The bulk of the hotspots are currently located in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area. A handful of other markets, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Tampa are also included from the onset. The cable companies expect to add more coverage and availability over time.  Cable operators say they will continue to increase the number of available hotspots, particularly in high-traffic locations such as parks, beaches, shopping areas, malls, cafes, restaurants, and sporting and concert arenas.

Wireless carriers are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi technology to help offload traffic from their oversubscribed networks, particularly in crowded areas. But new "femtocell" technology may give carriers an edge over their rivals. Though many carriers are aggressively deploying Wi-Fi hotspots on their own, cable companies would like a piece of the action.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless already offer something similar. AT&T has for years given its smartphone customers free access to AT&T-run Wi-Fi hotspots. AT&T owns more than 20,000 of them in the United States, many of which are located in Starbucks coffee shops and the like. AT&T also has a huge number of hotspots operating in the Times Square and theater district of Manhattan. It put this Wi-Fi network up years ago in part to help reduce the capacity crunch on its cellular network in that area. AT&T has made it seamless for smartphone subscribers to connect to Wi-Fi. As long as they are using an AT&T device, it automatically authenticates with the available AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot.

A new standard called "Passpoint" coming this summer from the Wi-Fi Alliance governing body will allow carriers to automatically switch customers to their Wi-Fi hotspots in crowded areas, without requiring any authentication from the user. That kind of seamless transition will make Wi-Fi a much more appealing option than it is currently for cellular customers.

How will it work? Subscribers will use their log-in credentials for their service provider through a new website called "CableWiFi.com." The credentials will allow them to gain access to the Wi-Fi hotspots run by their own provider, as well as those operated by the other four providers.

How Does 4G & LTE Compete with Free?

How does AT&T, Verizon, Sprint & T-Mobile make a business of selling expensive 4G and LTE mobile data plans when WiFi is free?  I constantly structure trying to understand the consumer value of having an expensive high speed paid connection anywhere but in the car.  WiFi hotspots are growing 25X faster than cell phone towers and now outnumber them Worldwide by far.  So when you think about signing up for that expensive data plan with caps you might want to think about how to become more resourceful as a consumer and look to use the more free wireless access at similar speeds.  You might want to learn how to use a Pad without a data plan.  

I think the financial media and the wireless industry analysts have wildly over projected and overlooking a major trend that could derail the 4G / LTE train.  Here are three industry "expert" forecasts below which wildly assume there is no competition and no alternatives to 4G, Wimax & LTE:

Infonetics: "Forecasts the worldwide LTE infrastructure market to grow approximately 10 times from 2010 to 2014, to $11.5 billion. The firm, citing tremendous growth coming from smartphones and tablets, also increased its subscriber forecast from previous estimations. It anticipates close to 165 million worldwide LTE subscribers by 2014."

Juniper: "It took nearly six years for 3G mobile services based on UMTS/HSPA to reach 100 million subscribers but it will take LTE just four years to reach the same milestone, say researchers at Juniper Research. The number of LTE subscriptions worldwide will grow at a cumulative average growth rate of 404 percent from 2010 to 2014 and reach 136 million subscriptions by year-end 2014, Juniper forecasts."

Coda Research: "A new study forecasts that European users will lead the charge into LTE with a compound annual growth rate of more than 50 percent. This latest report from Coda Research states that, by 2013, North America will have 7 million LTE users, Asia/Pacific 13 million, and Europe 15 million. However, Europe will be overtaken by Asia/Pacific in 2016, with the Chinese becoming dominant users in the region."

Smartphone Apps WiFi Only Option

If you are like the typical smartphone and cell phone user you are getting ripped off paying too much for your cell phone service plan.  Why, because the pricing plans are rigged and no matter what you change or remove from your plan you will always be paying $50-$100 per month.  Or worse yet you are overpaying for data and received bill shock. Even worse the carriers try to make it as difficult as possible for you to understand how much data you are using and want you to go over your data limits. Consumers who go over their data plans are not warned and often get shocked when they see their cell phone bill.

I am proposing that every application built on Android, iPhone and Windows be more transparent about whether you want it to access the carrier network or Wifi.  Also, it should track the amount of data it uses on the 3G, 4G, or LTE network.  Mobile apps fear data caps and carriers need to mandate this going forward for each application. Lawyers will be all over this with class-action lawsuits in the future if developers don't take it upon themselves to provide consumers with solutions that help them understand the amount of data they are using.  The most ethical developers will actually measure your usage and then tell you when are reaching a threshold.

If you are the typical consumer you are likely using 50% of your voice minutes, more text messaging and more data.  It's kind of crazy that 70% of your monthly bill is comprised of talk minutes yet you probably use data on the phone 90% of the time.  Another thing that is crazy is that you are likely uploading and downloading most of your data on your home Wifi network.  You are already paying for this data access and your cell phone company does not provide you with any transparency of how much data you are using on the 4G network.

With all of the problems the carriers are having getting their data networks in order.  They should be helping their customers use their 3G and 4G networks less and encourage customers to offload data via WiFi.  I think the future of 3G and 4G or LTE networks will be as a last resort and Wifi will be the standard now that hotspots are growing 5X faster than cell phone towers. AT&T was the first carrier to do this by removing all you can eat plans.

WeFi is a WiFi hotspot location service that works on a netbook, laptop, Symbian and Android platforms. The company helps members find nearby hotspots, complete with maps of their locations. There are also Symbian and Android mobile apps to work with WeFi on the go. The company collects anonymous data from devices that connect to a hotspot via the service, along with general information like how many devices are connected to a particular hotspot. With a population base of over 5 million users and a database of 60 million hotspots globally, the statistics show big changes in Wi-Fi usage. 50% of all Android devices analyzed consumed more than 500 MB of data per month each through Wi-Fi hotspots, and 20 percent of those Android owners flew through more than 2 GB of data over the month. That surprised me to see all of the free Wifi web usage and carriers need to change quickly as AT&T Wifi only has 20,000 free locations and this needs to change quickly for them to keep up.

T-Mobile 4G HSPA+ Femtocell or Mobile Hotspot?

Is T-Mobile testing a 4G femtocell or mobile hotspot combination device that will connect to your home broadband line and route your voice and data traffic over this line?  We might not have the right terminology for the device but it sounds a lot like a femtocell.  Apparently, the device offers Wifi as well and we presume this will offload data from the network. This is designed to fill coverage gaps and/or relieve the macro network or outdoor network.  A T-Mobile femtocell would be a major breakthrough for the company if they do roll this out to its customer base.  T-Mobile has the reputation of having less than stellar coverage in many rural areas throughout the US and this would certainly help many of these customers fill in those gaps for their home or office.

Discovering this device has sparked our curiosity because T-Mobile has always maintained their stance that they don't believe in femtocells and will stick with a Wifi strategy.  The Bandluxe device is priced at $249 which similar to Verizon who sells their femtocell for $250, AT&T sells their MicroCell for about the same and each comes with a monthly data subscription.  We think it would be quite disruptive for T-Mobile to subsidize the costs of these devices made by BandRich and also offer them without a data subscription.  The device is called HSPA+ WLAN Pocket Router.  We would appreciate any clarification about the type of device, data subscription, and its functionality or launch date. Will this device work on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network today?

Are Smartphones Secure on Wifi Hotspots?

Smartphone Security on Open Wifi Networks

Are smartphones secure on open wifi networks or are they vulnerable to attacks like PCs and laptops are?  As mobile phone users start preferring to offload data to wifi will security be the fear factor sales pitch? Hotspot shield has garnered lots of attention around the world and still remains one of the most downloaded applications for laptops.  However, is the threat the same for using on iPhone or Anroid phones?  My gut tells me its still a conspiracy similar to all of the large anti-virus companies who have benefited from the worms and viruses.  I still have yet to hear about one concrete example of a phone user getting hacked while using a smartphone at a hotspot or while offloading data from an application.  We searched for "hotspot shield" in the Android marketplace and didn't find anything.

Can smartphone users connecting to unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspots be compromised by attackers using an existing tools?  Can usernames and password combinations be captured?  We would like to hear from industry experts if this is true and we would like to see some examples or video. 

4G False Advertising Lawsuits Are Coming

Where is Andy Rooney When you Need Him?

4G as we now use the term here in the US is a wireless speed marketing term. Today's 4G is actually only modified 3G and should be marketed as such and not 4G.  All of the carriers use the same term even though their speeds are different and have devalued it to the point where it simply doesn’t make sense to fight it anymore.  Just make fun of them and laugh.  These are lessons learned all of the theoretical coverage maps projected over the last decade.  4G is simply a marketing term wireless carriers use to distinguish new from old and slow from fast.

Here is an independent analysis of 4G speeds compared from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.  These carriers are not held accountable for their speeds and won't anytime soon because the governing bodies are a bunch of puppet wimps.  Carriers will soon start suing each other and consumers will start suing the carriers for false advertising for the chaos.  These lawsuits should start popping up any day because our FCC and Consumer Groups are completely spineless governing bodies that can't regulate.  Ultimately lots of money will be made by aggressive lawyers and consumers will be left with holding a bag of shit.  It seems the planned obsolescence is the only way to sell ice to Eskimos and keep the industry alive.

I think we are at the tipping point of innovation and WiFi and this could change everything.  Our advice is to fight for free Wifi and more open public wifi hotspots.  Cutting out the carrier is the only option as this might be the final straw that breaks their back.

Wi-Fi Direct Location Based Social Networks

Smartphone Acting As A WiFi Hotspot

W-Fi Direct devices allow mobile mobiles to act like a Wi-Fi access router for Wi-Fi enabled machines. This is going to make it easy for groups of people in proximity to share files between laptops, phones or push a video from a handset to another Wi-Fi device. It could potentially be used for home entertainment networking, bars, sporting events, social gatherings, restaurants, conferences or multi-player gaming.  Wi-Fi Direct devices can now connect in a new way that makes it more simple and convenient than ever to do things like print, share music, videos and pictures on the home network.  This will undoubtedly open up brand new industries that feed off of location based social networks like Four Square, Gowalla, Facebook Places, Groupon.

It remains to be seen how manufacturers and carriers will allow consumers to use Wi-Fi Direct. The standard could be limited by manufacturers and wireless carriers, who may be wary of allowing the feature to flourish without their control. Carriers, for example, could prevent a phone from acting like a Wi-Fi hotspot, something they already do with some Android devices. Let’s hope that major players like Apple and Google let Wi-Fi Direct reach its full potential.  This will also probably be the beginning of the end for MiFi devices.

Sharing Music on iPhone Using WiFi Direct

The Wi-Fi Alliance said 82 million Wi-Fi-enabled portable consumer electronics devices and 216 million Wi-Fi handsets will ship this year with 26 percent annual growth projected through 2014.  Meanwhile Wi-Fi hotspots are growing at a rate of 40% per year to over 80,000 and that is 5X faster than cell phone towers.

Free WiFi Hotspots Growing 5X Faster than Cell Towers

There are 72,000+ US hotspots growing at an average rate of 40% per year.  Theses hotspots are located at restaurants, train stations, airports, military bases, libraries, hotels, hospitals, coffee shops, bookstores, fuel stations, department stores, supermarkets, RV parks and campgrounds, public pay phones, and other public places. Many universities and schools have wireless networks in their campus.  Below is a list of 80,859 US cell phone towers growing at around 8% per year and the 14 companies that manage them.  One major US carrier Verizon is not included on the list because they are not actively pursuing co-location opportunities.

Rank - Towers - Company - Stock Symbol / Owner
1 - 22,321 - CrownCastle.com - $CCI
2 - 20,594 - Americantower.com - $AMT
3 - 10,792 - Att.com/towers - $T
4 - 8,588 - Sbasite.com - $SBAC
5 - 7,000 - T-mobiletowers.com -
6 - 3,700 - Gtpsites.com - Macquire Group
7 - 3,058 - Mobilitie.com
8 - 3,000 - Towerco.com
9 - 489 - Pegasustower.com
10 - 350 - Insitewireless.com
11 - 310 - Diamondcomm.com
12 - 305 - Subcarrier.com
13 - 250 - Horvathcommunications.com
14 - 102 - Tarpontowers.com

EVDO Advantages Over Satellite & WiFi

EVDO Advantages Over Satellite Internet & WiFi

1. Always on with seamless roaming assuming coverage
2. Fully portable
3. You are your own hotspot and not  relying on someone else's internet connection
4. Goes beyond the 300-ft range from a "hotspot"
5. Access corporate VPN (virtual private network) get a cellular signal via a secure, encrypted signal
6. Can provide service outside of cable-modem or DSL areas
7. Relative low cost with high capacity – allows rich web browsing and application usage.
8. VOIP compatible with Skype, Google Voice or Magic Jack

How Does EVDO Work

EVO stands for Evolution Data Optimized and works similarly to the way your cell phone operates in that it relies on signal from a wireless tower rather than a physical connection like a phone line or cable. An EVDO modem (often referred to as an "aircard") receives the signal and allows you to connect to the internet -it's as simple as that! EVDO modems come in as a 3G Router.  Most 3G EVDO service plan have a 5 gig cap but some do not have any data cap.

Why Use EVDO?

• Line of site issues
• Data latency 
• Can't get DSL or broadband at your home or office
• Can't get satellite broadband
• Gamers and traders people who want fast persistent connections.

Who uses EVDO?

There are countless reasons to use EVDO and we have helped customers get set up for a huge variety of applications! Below are just a few common ways people use EVDO:

Mobile applications: Cars, trucks, RV's, commercial service/fleet vehicles, shuttles, carpool/vanpool, transit (busses, trains, ferries), taxis/limos, private/commercial vessels Portable uses: Mobile work teams, trade shows, conferences, conventions, vacations, commute access, emergency response setup

Fixed-location customers: Backup to cable/DSL/T-1, dial-up alternative, satellite alternative

How does EVDO compare to other technologies?

The best aspect of EVDO (to most users) is the mobility it offers, but EVDO is also FAST! With a good signal, EVDO Rev A averages about 600-1400Kbps download with upload speeds averaging between
500-800Kbps. Here is how it stacks up to other common internet technologies:

• EVDO Rev A: 600Kbps - 1,400Kbps Down (with bursts to 3.1Mbps); 500Kbps-800Kbps Up (with bursts to 1.8Mbps)
• EVDO Rev 0: 400 - 1000Kbps Down (with bursts to 2.0 Mbps); 50 - 100Kbps Up (with bursts to 144Kbps)
• 1xRTT: 50Kbps - 100Kbps with bursts up to 144kbps Down/Up
• EDGE (2G): 50Kbps - 100Kbps Down/Up
• HSPA: 700-1700kbps Down; 500-1200kbps upload
• DSL: Varies based on provider. Average appoximately 1500Kbps Down; 128Kbps Up
• Cable: Varies based on provider. Average appoximately 1000-5000Kbps Down; 200-800Kbps Up
• Satellite: 512Kbps - 1500Kbps Down; 128 - 256Kbps Up
• Dial-Up: 56Kbps Down/Up

How to Use an iPad 3G, 4G or 5G Without A Data Plan

It is now possible to save even more money as a consumer if you don't want to pay AT&T for unlimited data and its' congested 3G data network. 

Outdoor Femtocells Enable Cheap Backhaul

There is a lot of “name pollution” in the wireless market, making it difficult to draw the line between picocell and femtocell. However, Public Wireless has invented a new economical approach to leveraging their experience in outdoor wireless to reduce back-haul costs for small cell sites.   Public Wireless is a new US company pioneering the use of Ubiquisys femtocells  – providing coverage and capacity where cell towers wouldn’t otherwise be viable.

This approach gives them at least as great as a macrocell, but much cheaper in backhaul terms. This is because it uses virtually any available IP transport layer (DSL/Cable/Fiber/Microwave) over existing fiber, coaxial or copper wires, rather than needing a newly constructed and/or dedicated connection to each and every site, such as with outdoor DAS installations.

There are three classes of these small cell sites which our products address:

1. Coverage, in areas where it’s not been possible to get zoning permission or planning permission to erect a cell tower from the local authority. They install a site unobtrusively within a short period of time that doesn’t require the same levels of special permission.

2. Macro Sector Off-load, in areas where there are hotspots of data congestion in a large cell area that adversely affect the rest of the coverage area. An example would be a student dormitory, which can be offloaded to a local hotspot. This allows the students much better throughput and the macrocell users get better service.

3. Data Capacity, providing a mesh of small cell sites which give enormous data capacity in urban areas at a higher backhaul density and a higher data throughput.

Read more at ThinkFemtocell.com

AT&T Wifi Hotspot Locations Map

AT&T Wi-Fi Network of U.S. Hotspot Locations

iPhone Battery Life is AT&T's Biggest Problem

iPhone Battery Life is AT&T's Biggest Problem, NOT Data Usage

My contrarian indicators are now hinting its not the much publicized iPhone usage of video and data competing for access on cell phone towers thats causing capacity problems.  It's a signaling issue causing the majority of AT&T's network congestion issues for the iPhone.  iPhones and other smartphones are continuously pinging 3G networks and making constant queries of the network as they move among cellular sites to push email, access social networking tools and conduct other repetitive actions. For instance, an IM (instant messenger) user may send a message but then wait a couple of seconds between messages. In order to preserve battery life, the iPhone moves into idle mode. When the user pushes another message seconds later, the device has to set up a signaling path again.  Signaling traffic is out-pacing the growth of actual mobile data traffic by to 50%, if not higher.

The cell phone base station controller is spending a lot of its extra resources trying to process the signaling so it can't do other things like allocate additional resources for data. As a result you'll see dropped calls and data service degradation. Moreover, even when the signaling resource is released by the smartphone, the network can't react fast enough to allow for the next station to use resources until several seconds and sometimes minutes.  One of the ways iPhone and other smartphone vendors try to alleviate this problem and save battery life on their devices is by incorporating a fast dormancy feature.

Apple upset several operators last year when it implemented firmware 3.0 on the iPhone with a fast dormancy feature that prematurely requested a network release only to follow on with a request to connect back to the network or by a request to re-establish a connection with the network. Apple soon after released firmware 3.1, which removed the feature but spurred complaints among iPhone users when it came to battery life.  While fingers point at BlackBerry devices for also being signaling pigs, RIM argues that its devices don't have to wake up as often to query the network.

This is why carriers are continuing to look at a variety of solutions to reduce signaling traffic while preserving battery life including 3GPP which Nokia Siemens began selling this year at Mobile World Congress.  There are a number of other solutions operators can use to ease the congestion by offloading data traffic onto femtocells or Wifi hotspots and adding more network resources. HSPA+ (Evolved High-Speed Packet Access) that will enable the networks to reduce their transmission time from idle to active state and should help ease the congestion. Carriers can also monitor and control which devices and applications are generating excessive amounts of signaling or hogging more than their fair share of bandwidth. With this information, carriers can have increased awareness of the overall cost of delivering specific applications and services and can even map out their smartphone portfolios accordingly.

Femtocells & Wifi - Can't They Just Get Along?

Femtocells and WiFi: Why can't they just get on?

It's probably because the two represent radically different business models - rather than just being different technologies - which gives the rivalry added oomph. In the end, though, femto and Wi-Fi will probably both be options on the same hub. Ian Scales reports

Femtos have really arrived: especially in the US and in Japan. According to its supporters there is now an accelerating commitment path, with the number of operators committing to a femto strategy having risen by a full 50 per cent just since November 2009. Vodafone UK, Optimus in Portugal and SFR in France have all come forward with offerings. And there are over 60 operator trials in progress around the world today.

So femtos, just ever-so-slightly delayed by the recession (thought its boosters dispute even this, saying the last year saw the industry involved in a sort of last-minute sanity check, hence the slight pause) are now ready for prime-time.

Femocells are the small and (relatively) cheap micro mobile base stations users are supposed to attach to the end of their broadband connections to relieve the radio network from the worst of their 3G data traffic, and to provide indoor voice coverage where this is a bit shakey (with 3G, for instance). To rework a well-known beer ad, femtos are supposed to reach the parts (and carry the load) that the public network can't.

 

But despite all the cheering, the femto approach has its detractors. These observers usually point out that while femto is a great idea for providing voice coverage where it's weak, it's not a great solution for data offload... at all. They usually think Wi-Fi is the way forward for the following reasons:

Wi-Fi is cheap to deploy in both client and base stations. While femtos look like remaining in the £100 plus camp for the time being at least, Wi-Fi already costs just pennies to deploy in gadgets like smartphones, laptops, games machines and even television sets.

Wi-fi is already pervasive: because it's cheap it's everywhere and because it's everywhere it's cheap. It's already on laptops, it's on half of all smartphones and that proportion is rising. And it's available in hotels, cafes, hotspots and homes. And it's increasing its grip.

And when it comes to data offload (not voice coverage) Wi-Fi wins because most (like about 99 per cent) of the data it offloads goes straight to the Internet, not into the network provider's core as the femto is engineered to support. Yes femtos can do data 'breakout' to the Internet, but as the whole conception is about supporting the core operator network it's a less than optimum arrangement if it just uses breakout nearly all the time.

We recently ran two panel sessions at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. One on femtos and one on WiFi and we were left with the abiding regret that it might have been more illuminating to have run a joint panel. That way we could have thrashed out some of the 'pro' and 'con' issues.

However, you can view both of them now and make up your own minds.

Video: Getting it Right for the End-User 

Video: Why WiFi? What's in it for Operators?

Video: Femtocells: are they critical for network offload?

In the panel on Wi-Fi it's pointed out that Wi-Fi is for the semi-stable world, when people are not actually on the move. They move and then they stop and do some data downloads from a sedentary postion. I called this nomadic rather than mobile. Our panelists had other definitions

Ubiquity in its Wifi sense is that it's every where you need it to be, rather than simply everywhere. So it is (or soon will be) in all coffee shops, airports, hotels, railway stations, in addition to it being both at home and at work.

We learned that BT has a million hotspots that can be accessed under its BT OpenZone brand and it intends to keep on growing that number towards almost total ubiquity.

In regards to mobile network offload engineered by the network operator in the interests of reducing the strain on the mobile data network, a BT representative said the company was already involved with three operators in the UK to provide a WiFi service for their iPhone customers.

On the femto side, the big conundrum is about how you shape an offer so that people are prepared to buy into the concept - what sort of incentives can be made available? What marketing messages might work?

One approach that appears to be working well, say some of our panelists, is the idea that the addition of a femto marks its user out as a serious mobilist. That way it's not so much a remedy for the inadequacies of the network, it's a personal cell for those who can appreciate it.

That might work. But it seems to me that the job of blending a Femto plus various incentives into a compelling offer needs some work yet.

There are many participants in the value chain, from software providers to the device manufacturers themselves, but what are each of them bringing to the table to enhance the user-experience? As they transform their strategies to accommodate ever-changing user demands, what future challenges are they preparing to face? How is the focus on the end-user changing the industry?