Subject: [NEXTEL-1] AT&T, IBM, Intel plan nationwide Wi-Fi network

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 14:45:12 -0500

AT&T, IBM, Intel plan nationwide Wi-Fi network

DECEMBER 05, 2002

AT&T Corp., IBM and Intel Corp. are expected to announce plans to deploy a nationwide
network of
public access wireless LAN hot spots, code-named Project Rainbow, at a news conference
later
today.

Daniel Francisco, an Intel spokesman, declined to comment directly on Project Rainbow but
told
Computerworld that Intel's goal is to pump-prime public access WLAN deployment and
development to
the point that there is a hot spot no more than a five-minute walk from any spot in urban
America and
no farther than a five-minute drive in the suburbs.

Intel's next-generation processor for use in laptop computers, the Banias chip, will
eventually include
Wi-Fi WLAN technology right in the chip.

WLANs adhering to the 802.11b, or Wi-Fi, standards provide 11M bit/sec. throughput for
data. That
compares with the 20K to 70K bit/sec. speeds offered by cellular carriers such as AT&T
Wireless. But
the range of WLANs is limited to between 100 and 300 feet.

A nationwide network of public access hot spots of the kind envisioned by Intel's
Francisco would
allow mobile workers and fleet operators to easily and quickly find a location that offers
high-speed
data.

The existence of Project Rainbow was first leaked in July (see story), and since then, a
number of
vendors have been working to lock in various segments of the Wi-Fi market. Last month,
WorkingWild
Inc., a small Santa Fe, N.M.-based public access WLAN company, announced a deal to roll
out
15,000 public access WLANs at Circle K convenience stores operated by Conoco Corp.

WorkingWild buys "hot spot in a box" hardware priced at $199 from Toshiba America
Information
Systems, which also provides WorkingWild with the back-end billing systems. John Marston,
director
of business development at Toshiba America, said his company envisions the development of
a
nationwide public access WLAN network during the next three years. Marston estimated that
100,000
hot spots would be enough to cover the country.

SiriComm Inc. in Joplin, Mo., is also planning a nationwide WLAN network that will be
based in
full-service truck stops and designed to serve large fleets. Hank Hoffman, CEO of
SiriComm, said he
plans an initial deployment of 400 hot spots in truck stops. Richard Tisdale, CIO of Petro
Stopping
Centers LP, an El Paso, Texas-based truck stop operator, said he has received at least
three sales
pitches for public access WLAN service from different vendors in the past month.

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---

From: Jack Daniel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 13:32:33 -0800

And what about Earthlink's Boingo?

As I have said before, this is the start of end of these bands for 'free
access' use. 

There's only so many channels and when for-profit companies use them up
they will petition the FCC to make them private and the FCC will grant
it, perhaps with some contrived auction included.

There is no way wireless corporations are going to install millions of
dollars worth of equipment and network without knowing they will be
immune to 'free use' co-channel user interference down the road.

Anyone want to bet against that prediction? 

The smart guys will enter into exclusive contract to provide WiFi
coverage at locations that will be come critical to future nationwide
networks, like airports, major hotels and business complexes, etc., fire
up a couple of access points to homestead the spectrum and wait for the
buy-out offers.

But I may be wrong........... 
Jack Daniel
======================================================

Marcel wrote:
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---

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 20:40:23 -0500

I personally think they have "Bumped Their Head" for even considering such a large capital
investment on "Unlicensed" spectrum. They think the Nexthell interference is bad wait
until  deploys a 2.4Ghz  High Powered (1 Watt)  Networked Spread Spectrum Cordless Phone
System in the vicinity of one of their systems. This will knock 802.11(a, b, c, xyz) right
off the air.

Remember "Project Angel" didn't they learn from that? I guess not. That was another
"Nation-wide Network" that went Flop!

Oh, and all this Anti- Interference technology built in to theses networks it's BS-
A few months ago Lockheed (Formally Loral Defense Systems-East) did some testing on their
2.4 Ghz  Wireless Technology Video Surveillance System at the ATL airport and it knocked
out 4 different 802.11 systems including  the "Ambassador" lounge system. The airport said
"Tough" to the 802.11 vendors and continued to test.

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