Business Week, Information Technology Annual Report.
June 18, 2001 edition, page 28
Stephen H. Wildstrom
Tearing Down the Wireless Babel
"TDMA was probably doomed... It is a voice-only technology - in a market where data transmission, whether for Web access or wireless laptops, is a big concern for both carriers and customers. Meanwhile, GSM, heretofore a bit player in the U.S., is poised to be one of the key survivors. Its position has been further strengthened by Deutsche Telekom's acquisition of Voicestream, the leading U.S. GSM provider. In the future, most of the market will be split between GSM and CDMA, offered by Sprint PCS. Verizon Wireless, Alltel, and Qwest.
Currently, GSM and CDMA systems carry data up to 14.4 kilobits per second, and even that pokey rate is rarely achieved.
GSM carriers in Europe are rolling out a service that speeds up the system and lets multiple data transmissions share a single voice channel. In addition to offering speeds up to 64 kbs, and with faster service planned in the future, the new system connects without the delay now required to set up a voice call.... In South Korea, which has an advanced CDMA network, carriers are deploying a similar, somewhat faster technology.
Farther down the road, the wireless industry promises true broadband service. Called 3G....it will let you watch video on your phone...
Meanwhile, more modest system upgrades in the works represent a vast improvement in wireless data and, with luck, they will start to show up in the U.S. next year. I, for one, will be delighted to have wireless service that's simple and widely available, even if the speed is no faster than today's dial-up modems."
- Fred |
