Avalcom, a leading systems integrator in Russia, plans to undertake a massive trial of WiMax installations in the country over the next three months. The company will use Aperto Networks’ PacketMAX products including PacketMAX 5000 carrier class base station and the PacketMAX 100 CPE for its pilot projects in different regions in Russia. Participating in… Continue Reading
Skype Introduces Wi-Fi Phones
Skype users who want more mobility may opt for the new Wi-Fi phones that are due to hit the market in the third quarter of this year. The handsets will be pre-loaded with Skype software and will allow subscribers to use open Wi-Fi access points that do not need browser authentication to make calls. For… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi Phones Ring Changes In Telephony Sector
Analysts expect the global Wi-Fi phone market to enjoy a robust growth in 2006. Figures from Infonetics Research indicate that the Wi-Fi telephony industry earned $125.5 million in 2005, twice the volume in 2004. The analyst firm’s forecast shows that the numbers will more than double this year and may nearly triple by 2009, when… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi HotSpot Phone Launched By Samsung
Italians who want an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) handset can now get one from Samsung. The company has launched SGH-P200 — a phone unit that supports Wi-Fi, GSM and GPRS, thus enabling it to make calls through a public hotspot or a home or office wireless network. “Handsets with UMA technology allow free voice and… Continue Reading
Some Say Wireless Chief Goes Too Far
Philadephia tech czar Dianah Neff is being criticized for her frequent travelling and the expenses incurred for attending events. Neff, who earns $193,800 a year as the city’s chief information officer, has participated in 56 technology conferences in the U.S. and abroad since joining Mayor Street’s team in 2001. Neff said her appearances generated revenues… Continue Reading
Langberg: The Overbuilding Of Wireless Networks Lingers In The Air
Too much excitement over wireless technologies is risking the possibility of overbuilding of networks. At present, there are several projects aimed at providing citywide or nationwide WiFi coverage and the question is whether these networks will attract enough customers to remain viable in the long term. Analysts like Andy Seybold, editor of the wireless industry… Continue Reading
Sparking Interest In Wireless Networks
Sparkplug, a Chicago-based provider of fixed wireless connectivity to businesses, has formed a merger with two other wireless operators, Des Moines-based Prairie iNet and Phoenix-based Telespectra. “Each of our companies brings different strengths to the merger,” according to Sparkplug chief executive Bill Malloy. The move, Malloy said, would enable Sparkplug to widen its coverage as… Continue Reading
Intel Haifa Staff Tap Away In WiFi Bomb Shelters
The Hizbollah-instigated bombings did not affect the work of the staff at Intel Corp’s Haifa research center in Israel as the company’s bomb shelters were fully equipped with a wireless network. Intel Israel spokesman Kobi Bachar said he does not “see any impact on output” of the weekend incident in Israel’s largest city, adding that… Continue Reading
Study: Wi-Fi Users Are Not Freeloaders
Customers that avail of free WiFi connection in Paris coffee shops do not hog tables, according to a new study by Wi-Fi provider Free-HotSpot. The report indicates that cafes with free WiFi connection have three to five times more customers than their fee-based counterparts and these people use the service for a shorter duration, with… Continue Reading
BT Advocates WiFi For Spying On Neighbours
BT believes WiFi can be beneficial to the work of local authorities. The technology, according to BT, can be used to locate noisy parties and, with the installation of Webcams and sensors, may help fight crimes. The company hopes to expand the coverage of its ‘wide radius’ wireless broadband networks to six new cities in… Continue Reading
Crazy-Long Hacker Sentence Upheld
A Federal appeals court upheld the 9 year sentence for Brian Salcedo for his role in the wireless intrusion and attempted credit card theft at a Michigan Lowes hardware. The sentence is the longest ever handed down for a computer crime. Some question the harshness of the sentence given that other credit card fraud schemes… Continue Reading
NZ Spectrum Debate Highlights WiMAX Regulatory Dilemma
The coming of WiMax seems to be creating a bit of debate in countries like New Zealand where regulators want to revoke licenses for valuable WiMax spectrum and re-auction it off, presumably for a great amount of profit. Companies who currently own the spectrum are crying foul as big companies will be the only ones… Continue Reading
Symbian OS 9.3 Adds Wi-Fi Support
Symbian has launched version 9.3 of its operating system for smartphones. The new version includes native support for USB 2.0 connections as well as for Wi-Fi radio. It also provides Unlicensed Mobile Access, which enables phones to go from cellular to Wi-Fi networks through VoIP technology. Symbian is the operating system that powers mobile phones… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi More Popular Than iPods, Says Study
A new study by the Wi-Fi Alliance and Kelton Research indicates that wireless networking has more following that iPod. When asked which of the two they would prefer to keep, nearly 80 percent of the respondents chose their home wireless local area networks over the Apple bestseller. The study ascribed the popularity of the technology… Continue Reading
WiMax Spectrum Row Heats Up
The latest statement from the GSM Association did not sit well with WiMax supporters. The association is urging European Commission regulators to restrict the so-called 3G extension bands — particularly 2.5-2.690 GHz — to “the IMT-2000 family of technologies.” The plea ensued from proposals labeling certain bands as “technology neutral.” David Pringle of the GSM… Continue Reading