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To: Wyätt Gwyön who wrote (109337)	12/7/2001 12:03:41 PM
From: slacker711	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

there's no reason the 802.11b business model couldn't be consolidated. who knows, the baby bells may try to catch the wave. You are right the business model is still completely unknown for 802.11b....but I think the most obvious fit is for wireless operators to use a dual-mode between 3G and 802.11. There is already a hint of this....Voicestream bought the assets of the bankrupt provider to Starbucks. obviously, it would be difficult for 802.11b to have the same "ubiquity" as 3G. but that doesn't mean it can't compete. It depends on what consumer attitudes towards wireless data become.....the 802.11b coverage vs. 3G coverage is going to be like pay phones vs. cell phones. What do you think the percentage of people would have been that said they NEEDED cell-phone service ten years ago? The number would probably have been below 5%. You could always use a pay phone for your calls and who needs to be in constant contact anyway? Most people associated pagers and cell-phones with drug-dealers.... Times have obviously changed....the same may occur for wireless data. Slacker

To: Wyätt Gwyön who wrote (109337)	12/7/2001 12:33:24 PM
From: Kayaker	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 152472

it's not really fair to compare an actual service in its infancy (802.11b in Sbux or wherever) to a hypothetical "mature" service that doesn't yet exist (nationwide 3G cellular broadband). Say what? <g> if you can get broadband wireless at any Sbux in SF today for 30 bucks a month, that is a lot better wireless broadband option than what cellular providers offer today. Today? C'mon. How much time does ANYONE spend in a Starbucks? Even if was an hour a day, it would be goofy to spend $30 a month for that. I've got a cable connection for less. 802.11b will only make sense for densely populated establishments (eg, starbucks, hotel, airport). But what percentage of a day will any of us spend at those locations? A very small amount. Imagine having a (voice only) phone that worked ONLY at these places. Who would buy one? Same thing with data. The cost of 1xEV is expected to be less than 3¢ per megabyte. Whatever the retail cost is, it'll be CHEAP, and the fact that it will work virtually anywhere and is MOBILE makes it a far more attractive choice IMHO.

To: Wyätt Gwyön who wrote (109337)	12/7/2001 12:53:11 PM
From: Neeka	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

but if you can get broadband wireless at any Sbux in SF today for 30 bucks a month, that is a lot better wireless broadband option than what cellular providers offer today. The speed at which people walk from place to place here in Seattle has increased dramatically ever since sbux started selling fancy coffee drinks on every corner. If they think that we can casually sit down and relax they had better eliminate 90% of the caffeine they are peddling in their product or 802.11 will die on the vine. Most of us can't sit still long enough to use the service. It's all that caffeine. ;-) M