Review #2 -- WiMax: Potential to revolutionize wireless broadband access?

WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is an emerging technology which may revolutionize the way users connect to wireless internet networks. Comparing WiMax to Wi-Fi is certainly fair. The two essentially operate in very similar ways. WiMax has advantages in terms of higher speeds, greater coverage areas and expansion of user bases. This is a slight expansion of the initial scope of this blog, but I believe I am shaping this into something more focused on issues concerning access. Mainly looking at how emerging wireless technologies can positively affect the digital divide, it is important to first introduce those. Also, efforts are being made to bring this technology to cellular devices. This could either challenge or possible replace efforts being made in three and four g networks.

The site I used as an introduction into this technology is: http://www.wimax.com/education/faq. It is authored by WiMax.com Broadband Solutions, Inc. and provides a thorough introduction to all aspects of this standard. This FAQ sections provides answers to questions such as: What is WiMax? Why is WiMax important for fixed/mobile broadband wireless? Can I get WiMax on my cellular phone?...etc. It essentially covers the gamut in terms of possible inquires. It does a nice job providing specific answers without relying too heavily on technical jargon; it simply gets the point across. This is not written as a technical report, but instead something as an introduction to users.

As stated above, WiMax could be crucial in providing high speed access to remote areas. Sending information wirelessly could limit the infrastructure needing to be built in order to transmit signals across great distances. Low density population areas could now simply have information broadcast over many miles with the creation of a single tower. This still obviously requires some infrastructure, but could be potentially less costly than methods before. Interesting articles discuss the future possibilities of this technology. Written by Jonathan Jager this article titled, “Q&A: WiMax’s potential to deliever rural broadband,” provides insight into how both individuals and businesses can benefit from the emergence of this technology.

Q&A: WiMAX's potential to deliver rural broadband. (2008) Network World. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/100708-wimax-rural-broadband.html?page=1

Review #1 -- Implementation of 4g networks -- Not as easy as once believed

For an initial entry, I thought I’d look at an article discussing 4g wireless networks as an “emerging technology.” While this is still very much true, I examined an article from 2001 titled “Issues in Emerging 4G Wireless Networks” by Upkar Varshney and Radhika Jain of Georgia State University. The authors give perspective on the perceptions that where held nearly a decade ago on the future of these technologies. They held the belief that 4g wireless technologies would be unveiled around 2006, with full implementation sometime soon after that. Varshney and Jain also questioned whether this technology would simply bypass 3g wireless networks. None of this has obviously happened; we are just beginning to see these 4g technologies coming to fruition.

For a more current take, I examined an article by Mark Sullivan titled “Not all 3g Wireless Networks Are Created Equal.” Being both fairly brief, these writings in conjunction provide a nice overview of past expectations along with current realities. Sullivan reviews the major 3g wireless providers in the United States (Verizon, Sprint, At&t, etc.) and speaks to the strengths and weaknesses of each. Without diving into specific comparisons, it is interesting to note that even in 2009 each still experiences challenges in overall functionality. This is in stark contrast to Varshney and Jain’s belief that 3g networks may simply be superseded by superior technologies. The curve in terms of implementation was far steeper than these two authors expected. Sullivan speaks to not only the speed of a network, but also its reliability. He states, “That wireless service — so often an afterthought to smart phone buyers — is hugely important: it connects your new phone to all the fun and useful apps and services that made you lust after a smart phone in the first place.” The author speaks of the different qualities of networks. This was also a major theme in the other article. Varshney and Jain believed for a quality infrastructure each network must have a certain quality of service (QoS). While each company got adequate reviews by Sullivan, it is still of note that differences certainly exist between providers and that not all wrinkles have been removed from 3g networks.

Reading these two articles in conjunction provided me with perspective about the relative difficulty in implementing these technologies. During the early 2000’s , there seemed to be limitless potential for wireless networks. Projections made by Vershney and Jain have certainly been off. They believed 4g technologies would be prominent almost 3 years ago, but they are just now emerging. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a huge problem, but it does show that infrastructure is more difficult to implement than many believe. It will be interesting to see when 4g technologies are simply the baseline for wireless connection.

Varshney, U., Jain, R. (2001). Issues in emerging 4G wireless networks. Communications , 94-96.

Sullivan, M. (2009). Not all 3G wireless networks are created equal. MSNBC.

Welcome

Hey all –

My name is Bryan Schneider and I am a graduate student in library and information science at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. While I do enjoy physical libraries themselves, my main interests lie in the digital world. Currently, I am employed as a metadata librarian for the Internet Scout Project. At Scout, we mine the web for quality resources for educational uses.

This interest in the digital world of libraries has influenced the content of this blog. I will look to explore the world of mobile devices and the networks that allow them to function. This will mostly consist of literature on 3 and 4g networks, and how there emergence is changing how users obtain information. As I continue on, this blog will take a more defined shape in terms of focus and scope.