Sam, I'm like the guy you meet at a cocktail party who talks a good game but then can't walk the techno-walk. Ergo, for the sake of you getting the real oil, get thee to the QCOM thread and read these posters: engineer, Walt Houston, Clark, Gregg Powers, w molloy. If others come to mind, I'll post or send you a PM.
In general, I understand that the direct sequence spread spectrum air interface (CDMA) is distinctly superior for 'conveying' data than its historic predecessors (GSM, and its U.S. cousin TDMA).
[Not coincidentally, CDMA can also cram many more phone conversations in a given wedge of spectrum which is why all Qualcomm True Believers believe with jihad-like fervor that it will ultimately defeat the infidel--thus dave horne and I should never meet in a blind alley :-)
Your question however revolves around data vis a vis telephony, and it is in this realm that CDMA's star shines even more brightly. George Gilder, among others, has been pounding this drum for several years, i.e., that CDMA will permit wireless megabit transfer rates. In its current evolution (Interim Standard 95, or IS95), CDMA is still in the data slow lane, something on the order of 14-19kbs. Chapter 2 however is CDMA2000 which goes under so many monikers that nobody knows what the hell it will ultimately be called (W-CDMA, presumably for wideband CDMA, 3g, and before the ink is dry on this post, the ITU will doubtless toss out a few more).However designated, this will be optimized for data and should scream. Qualcomm has hooked up with Microsoft creating a JV called Wireless Knowledge which entity is aimed squarely at inaugurating high data rate wireless devices. In addition, Qualcomm and 3Com have birthed the PDQ which as you might suspect is a Palm Pilot cum cell phone--on your shelves as we speak but not very pronto.
By no means will MCI-Metricom have the field to itself--high speed wireless data has, and will continue to, attract a crowd (mob?). As to when (always the high tech equivalent of "I'll respect you in the morning"), well field trials have successfully demonstrated the technology but how soon that will come to a hand held device near you is even more beyond my competency than the rest of this post.
You might also wish to wander on over to the Winstar and Teligent threads as so called fixed broadband wireless (FBBW) operating in the gigahertz frequency bands is transmitting data at megabit speeds Right Now--but as the name implies this is from a fixed point to a fixed point(or multiple fixed points, as in point to multi-point) and is not suitable for cruising the highways and byways while surfing the same, virtually speaking. best, mike doyle |
