Advantages

For customers

• Doesn't require use of telephone lines (although some providers still offering one-way services that use a telephone line for uploads)
• Quick installation
• Ranges up to 35 miles
• Speeds comparable to (and in some cases better than) DSL and cable
• Static IP address

For providers

• Upfront investment can be less costly compared to wired options, especially for unlicensed spectrum

Capital tied to revenue

Limitations

For customers

• Line-of-sight problems may make wireless inappropriate for some customers.
• Interference may impact service quality, especially on unlicensed spectrums
• Some customers may be too far away from central antenna
• Some customers may be unable to afford cost of monthly fee and/or installation/equipment fee (if provider doesn't waive)
• Shared bandwidth can have negative impact on quality of service

For providers

• Cost of licensed spectrum may be prohibitive
• May have difficulty acquiring site for central antenna
• Need taller towers to reach farther distances which can increase provider's cost to serve rural areas
• New towers plus access equipment can cost over $1 million so providers have an incentive to serve areas with a large customer base.

How does wireless broadband work?
Wireless broadband systems use radio signals instead of telephone wire (copper, twisted pair), TV cable (hybrid fiber coax cable), or fiber optics to send and receive data and sometimes voice. Wireless providers primarily use what is known as "fixed" wireless technology to provide "last mile" broadband Internet access to residential and business customers. The technology is "fixed" because it relies on a stationary signal base, unlike "mobile" systems that allow users to move from place to place. Mobile wireless alternatives currently include Wireless LANs and Internet connections for some hand held computers and cell phones.

Providers operate all wireless broadband services over either licensed or unlicensed radio frequencies (measured in hertz). The radio spectrum also supports other services such as pagers, cell phones, private radio dispatch (i.e. taxis), microwave, television, and radio broadcasting.

Fixed Wireless
In a fixed wireless system, a technician installs a small antenna, sometimes called a dish or a transmitter, on a customer's home or business (usually on the roof) and then wires it to a special modem connected to the customer's computer, providing an always on connection. The customer's antenna uses radio waves to connect to the provider's central antenna, which in turn accesses the Internet through a public switched telephone network. To work properly, the customer's antenna needs a clear line-of-sight to the provider's central antenna, which is usually placed on a tall building, mountain, or tower. Bad weather, thick foliage, hills, tall buildings, or other obstructions can interfere with the line-of-sight. (See "what's new in wireless" section below for new technologies that address line-of-sight problems.) Depending on the type of technology used, fixed wireless systems can serve customers up to 35 miles from the provider's central antenna.

Types of fixed wireless technology (licensed and unlicensed):

Licensed Spectrum

• MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System)- Originally designed to provide "wireless cable" television services, providers now use the MMDS broadcast spectrum to provide broadband Internet access to small businesses and residential customers, primarily in suburban or rural areas that aren't served by DSL or cable modem service. MMDS operates at low frequencies (2 to 3 gigahertz) and can reach customers up to 35 miles away.
• LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System) - LMDS can transmit large amounts of data at very high speeds, but it is limited to distances of no more than 5 miles. It operates in the 28 to 29 gigahertz range and is susceptible to bad weather like heavy rainstorms or blizzards. LMDS is most suitable for businesses in dense urban or suburban areas.

Unlicensed Spectrum - Providers can also offer broadband services in the 900 megahertz (ISM band), 2.4 gigahertz, and the 5-6 gigahertz ranges to distances up to 5 miles.

Mobile Wireless
Wireless LANs give users within a building or other limited area (like a campus) mobile access to their broadband network (wired or wireless), but the range typically is restricted to several hundred feet from a fixed network access point.

Internet access through handheld devices and cell phones is growing in popularity but currently lacks broadband speeds.

(See the "advances are on the horizon" section below for a discussion of new technologies that may expand mobile wireless options and improve performance.)

How Fast is Wireless?

Fixed Wireless
Most fixed wireless services offers speeds that are comparable to DSL and cable modems, typically ranging from 128 kbps to 1.5 mbps. Most are asymmetrical systems with slower upload speeds than download speeds. LMDS rates, however, are much faster, surpassing even T-1 and T-3 lines.

Wireless LANs
Most Wireless LAN products (transmitters and receivers) are based on a standard called IEEE 802.11b (IEEE is the Institute for Electrical and Electrical Engineers), which operates at 2.4 gigahertz and transmits data up to 11 mbps. Users share the bandwidth, so a single transmitter can support about 10 users. Some providers also offer products based on another IEEE standard, 802.11a, which operates at 5 gigahertz (which means less interference), transmits data up to 54 mbps, and can support a lot more users. Note: Wireless LANs can offer much greater bandwidth than the typical Internet access points they connect to.

How much does wireless typically cost?
For most fixed wireless services, residential customers can expect to pay from $40-$60 per month, business customers up to $200 per month, depending on the speed they want. Customers may also pay an installation charge in the $300 range and/or an equipment purchase fee from $100-$300. Providers sometimes waive installation and/or equipment fees as part of promotional deals or in exchange for longer service contracts. LMDS customers will pay significantly more both in monthly fees (around $1100) and in installation/equipment fees.

Wireless LAN products are relatively inexpensive, about $250 for transmitters and $100 for receivers, and can be bought in retail stores.

Are there distance limitations?

• 35 miles for MMDS
• 5 miles for LMDS and unlicensed spectrum
• Several hundred feet for Wireless LANs
  

Who are the primary providers?
MMDS - Sprint and MCI/Worldcom have been the largest providers, but both companies are currently either getting out of this market or reevaluating it. AT&T offers wireless services in select markets, and Nucentrix offers services in Oklahoma, Texas and the Midwest. Note: In October 2001, Sprint announced it was freezing number of MMDS markets it serves until more progress made on technology.

LMDS - Numerous providers have purchased LMDS spectrum, including Winstar, Teligent, XO Communications, Alcatel, and Montana Power Company's Touch America. Two telephone coops, Central Texas Telephone (Goldwaithe, TX) and South Central Telephone (Medicine Lodge, Kansas) are experimenting with LMDS for rural areas. Virginia Polytechnic Institute is researching feasibility of LMDS for rural areas.

Unlicensed - Numerous, including Hometown Computing in Hamilton, TX.

National Wireless ISP Directory

Is it used in rural communities now?
Texas Examples

In the Central Texas communities of Caldwell, Snook, and Somerville, the Burleson County - Wide Integrated Network (BC-WIN), a nonprofit organization, currently offers wireless services to members of its TIF Community Network. BC-WIN expects to begin serving the community at large after September 2002. http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/servpro/solutions/wireless/pdf/BCWIN_CP4.pdf

Bee Creek Communications in Fredricksburg, TX, is a wireless provider serving the Texas Hill Country.

Central Texas Telephone offers wireless Internet services in the Goldwaithe area.

Hamilton, Stephenville, Clifton, and Gatesville, receive wireless services over unlicensed spectrum from Hometown Computing, founded by Larry Anglin. Article:http://ptech.belointeractive.com/connections2001/291582_rural_20bus.AR.html

Nation

Pala Indian Reservation, north San Diego County, CA

The Digital Beat: "Native Networking Trends: Wireless Broadband Networks"

Durant, Stroud, Norman and Bartlesville, OK (partnership between Oklahoma Municipal League and Aaro Broadband Wireless Communications Inc.)

International

Wellington, New Zealand, the capital city of the country, has been wired with one of the world's largest LANs, with gigabit fiber throughout the downtown area. The network runs at speeds 65 times faster than T1 lines.

What advances are on the horizon for the technology?
802.11g
The IEEE recently approved a new standard, 802.11g, that is compatible with 802.11b equipment, but, like 802.11a, offers speeds of 54 mbps. Products based on "g" will be available in late 2002.

3G
3G refers to third-generation mobile wireless services that will allow users to access the Internet, transmit both data and voice, and use video-conferencing and other sophisticated multimedia services at speeds of 2 mbps or higher - all on cell phones, PDAs or other portable devices. Cingular, AT&T, and Sprint are the major players in this arena, but they are rolling out services in phases due to concerns about customer demand and spectrum availability. Real and widespread access is still likely to be a few years away. Note: Bluetooth is a wireless specification that supports links between mobile computers, mobile phones and other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. Its promoters include (among others) 3Com, Agere, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba.

Routers and repeaters that limit line of sight problems
Some providers use routers or repeaters that only require line-of-sight to neighboring transmitters rather than to the provider's central antenna, increasing distance capacity and providing a means to bypass obstructions like tall buildings or hills. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is one type of this technology.

UHF
Some providers are beginning to offer broadband services over the UHF television frequency (640-650) megahertz at speeds of up to 1.5 mbps. Services were initially one-way, but in 2000 Congress approved two-way UHF services citing the potential to bring broadband services to more rural communities. AccelerNet, a company based in Houston, TX, offers business connections to about 600 customers at around $300 a month.

Are there any policy/regulatory issues that might impact delivery of wireless services in rural areas?
Licensed vs. unlicensed spectrum
Providers can purchase (license) frequencies from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) strictly for their own use or they can use unlicensed frequencies that are designated for public use (with certain limitations regarding power and spectral density). Licensed spectrums are subject to regulatory restraints while unlicensed spectrums are by and large free of regulatory control.

Spectrum Availability
There may be a shortage of spectrum availability as more providers enter the market.
Where can I learn more? (Web sites, associations, publications, etc.)

Other wireless primers
Wireless FAQs from ibuybroadband

Wireless Broadband FAQs from DigiTerra Broadband

Texas State Library and Archives commission, Wireless Community Networks: A Guide for Library Boards, Educators, and Community Leaders

Industry news
Wireless LAN Association

Converge! Network Digest - Broadband Wireless /Wireless LANs

LMDS Wireless, The Broadband Solution

Bandwidth place: latest headlines and resources. Fixed / Mobile

Spread Spectrum Scene Magazine SSSOnline

Broadband Wireless Exchange Magazine

What is the Broadband Wireless Exchange?

Top 10 Broadband Wireless States, color graphic/chart and online press release:
- Top 10 Broadband Wireless Press Release
- Top 10 Color Graphic/Chart
- National Wireless ISP Directory

Vendor Information
Wireless LAN/MAN Product Directory, maintained by Barry McLarnon, VE3JF

Other
NTIA Report on Connecting Rural Communities to the Net: The most recent in a series of" Lessons Learned" reports, Networking the Land: Rural America in the Information Age, is available from NTIA. The ten stories featured in Networking the Land discuss how rural communities are using telecommunications and information technologies to develop local economies, manage natural resources, and improve access to education, health care, social services, and the arts.

Guerilla.net - an underground alternative to the wired Internet

Modified: 5/31/2002