Cellular Vs wLAN Debate Sridhar Komandur
Are cellular networks & wLANs Complimentary or competitive ? To paraphrase the topic: Are cellular networks & wLANs Complimentary or competitive ?
Why Is wLAN Public Networks (Wi-Fi) Catching on ? Delays in 3G technology and service offerings Enabling Wi-Fi enterprise momentum to extend to 2.5G/3G networks (wWAN)
Why Is wLAN Public Networks (Wi-Fi) Catching on ? (Cont) Wi-Fi technology aspects Higher speed (~7 to 20mbps) Low cost to subscribers Ease of use (all IP) Low capEx Emergence of dual mode Wi-Fi/GPRS PC cards
Why Is wLAN Public Networks (Wi-Fi) Catching on ? (Cont) Enterprise leverage Strong adoption by enterprise market Increasing adoption by “home networking market”
Wi-Fi Limitations Wi-Fi cells must be isolated from each other Difficult cell planning, no hand-offs Cell adjacency was not a design criterion Too many cross channel interference problems
Wi-Fi Limitations (Cont) Unlicensed spectrum causes resource competition Availability, Bandwidth and QoS are unknown
Wi-Fi Limitations (Cont) Spatially growing capacity can be difficult Interference limits Wi-Fi cells to 0.5 km radius Power emission regulations may limit growth
Summary … Wi-Fi is limited for ubiquitous deployment and Integration of Wi-FI and GPRS/UMTS is required
Wi-Fi/Cellular Integration Needs Service transparency Guaranteed service availability (at & beyond hot spots) Speed, performance, and guaranteed service
Wi-Fi/Cellular Integration Needs (Cont) Security Enterprise grade Authorization & authentication OTA privacy Seamless handoff and mobility
Wi-Fi/Cellular Integration Needs (Cont) One bill, lower bill Best available speed over diverse access Service package : ISP, ASP, Access, voice Like voice, businesses will pay for wireless data