Mauro Calvi

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 02:13:02 GMT

It doesn't have to be so complicated! http://www.clearfly.net/blog.html Someday we will look back at the way we handle our business communications today and wonder how we did it, very much the same in way we now wonder how people could work and live without email. Many of us have a desktop phone in the office and carry around a cell phone. Most of us still we have two phone numbers (without counting fax), and two voicemail boxes, which means multiple passwords and keystrokes to remember and, even worse, often causes us to miss a few important calls. While larger companies are agressively embracing the inevitable convergence of communications services, the vast majority of small and medium businesses in the US still have separate voice, data and cellular service providers. The result? High service costs, administrative complexity and low user productivity.

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:59:19 GMT

Muni Wi-Fi, new business models threaten cellular carriers. Is the party almost over for cellular carriers? Clayton Christensen, Scott Anthony and Alex Slawsby seem to think so in this article in Forbes (click here). Voice over Wi-Fi, citywide wireless networks and new business models are threatening the carriers. http://clearfly.net [MuniWireless.com]

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:58:00 GMT

Brazil makes muni Wi-Fi more affordable. Anatel, the Brazilian regulator, has passed new regulations that make it easier for cities to provide low-cost wireless broadband access. [MuniWireless.com]

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:54:44 GMT

60-Mile Signal in San Francisco. This isn't a contest: Intel is testing software and antennas to eventually bring long-range 802.11 to under-developed nations. [Wi-Fi Planet Wireless News]

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:22:01 GMT

Motorola WiMAX solution deployed in Pakistan. Just nine months after it received a contract to build a Â€Âœworld-class communications networkÂ€Â in Pakistan, Wateen Telecom has deployed MotorolaÂ€Â™s WiMAX infrastructure in 17 major cities and is conducting end-to-end voice and data communications. []

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:43:59 GMT

Skopje beats San Francisco to the punch

Nothing truly ground-breaking in this article on muni-voip, but I could not help but notice that "Kenya and Macedonia are currently operating multi-city or national wireless mesh broadband networks". I hope the San Francisco board of supervisors can soon travel to Macedonia for a crash course on how to get things done.

Also interesting: "Municipal networks are running in cities as diverse as Cittagong, Bangladesh; Moscow, Russia; and Taipei, Taiwan. The Beijing public security bureau is deploying a network in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, with an emphasis on video surveillance. U.S. cities where the technology is in use include Anaheim, Mountain View, and Pasadena, Calif.; Chandler, Gilbert, and Tempe, Ariz.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Corpus Christi, Texas.".

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:52:46 GMT

San Francisco’s digital pariahs

In their noble pursuit of a digitally inclusive city-wide network, EarthLink and San Francisco have concocted an abominably silly scheme: providing a 300kbps “low end” service tier at no charge. The idea is that EarthLink will be able to subsidize the cost of serving low-income areas (one of the City’s design requirements) with income generated from higher-end paying subscribers.

But what is the social benefit of providing a 300kbps service? What can anyone do with 300kbps in today’s world?

Not much: try using it for email (good luck with that 3 meg attachment from aunt Margie), streaming video (distance learning? telemedicine?), Skype (forget cheap long distance). And the list goes on. Using 300 kbps in 2007 is akin to buying a PC with 256 kbytes of RAM and a 20 megabyte hard disk: no matter how desperately low you are in the social totem pole, there really is little use for one.

We are not sure why the City and Earthlink have come up with this brain-dead “low-tier” gimmick. A more reasonable approach would have been to identify those who are truly in need, and provide a subsidized 1-2 mbps service to them. Does the idea seem difficult to implement? It is not. There are solutions available that make it possible.

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:10:21 GMT

Malaysia to issue WiMAX licenses next year (AFP).

AFP - Malaysia will issue two licenses to telecommunication operators next year to provide fourth generation wireless high speed Internet services, a senior minister has told AFP.

[Yahoo! News: Wireless and Mobile Technology]

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:43:40 GMT

Deutsche Telekom pulls out of race for German Wimax licences (AFP).

AFP - German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom has said it would not participate in the bidding for German high-speed Internet Wimax licences.

[Yahoo! News: Internet News]

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:45:02 GMT

Nokia Simplifies Dual-Mode Phones (PC World). PC World - Seamless network hopping gets closer with software that makes Wi-Fi and cellular phones easier to use. [Yahoo! News: Wireless and Mobile Technology]

"In addition to automatically choosing the proper network, the software also helps Telio provision the service, said Jouni Malinen, director of Nokia's emerging business unit. Once a customer signs up for Telio's service, the customer receives a message on the phone that automatically changes the phone's settings to enable the service. Without the Nokia Service Suite, customers would have to manage multiple potentially complicated configuration changes to enable the service, Malinen said."

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:14:31 GMT

Europe Jumps On Wi-Fi Bandwagon. WiFi is experiencing rising popularity in Europe as demonstrated by the considerable increase in the deployment of wireless hotspots in the continent. According to a new study by BroadGroup Tariff Services, the number of hotspots in the region grew by 28 percent from May 2005 to September 2006. Majority of these devices are found in the U.K., Germany and France. The report also noted that two-thirds of all hotspots in Europe are managed by telcos and mobile operators.
[NetStumbler.com]

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:51:52 GMT

T-Mobile Launches Converged Cell/Wi-Fi Voice [Wi-Fi Networking News]

This is the first meaningful UMA launch in the US (though it's only a limited pilot in Seattle, with no release dates announced). The most salient aspects of the plan:

- $20 / month for unlimited minutes over wifi. Subscriber must have a $40 minimum voice plan an can combine offering with T-Mobile's $30/mo GPRS data service

- it requires a t-mobile router at home. "The requirement of a specific router relates to the low-power mode of handsets that needs a particular protocol embedded in the router to work—WMM Power Save. Few routers have this right now, but it’s really a protocol-level feature, not a hardware change. However, it does require Wi-Fi Alliance certification if you want to use the label on the product, and thus adds cost at that level.

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:39:53 GMT

MuniWireless.com Estimates $3b in US Spending by 2010 [Wi-Fi Networking News]

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:43:35 GMT

Online resources for municipal and community wireless networks. Ash Dyer of MIT provided us with a list of online resources for people who are planning municipal and community wireless networks. Ash is participating in the Digital Inclusion Day here in Minneapolis (part of the Muniwireless conference). Municipal-scale Projects: MIT Future of Communications http://cfp.mit.edu/groups/broadband/muni_bb_pp.html Cambridge Public Internet http://www.cambridgema.gov/wifi/index.cfm Housing Projects: [...] By noemail@noemail.org (Esme Vos). [MuniWireless]

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 01:53:38 GMT

Analysis of Contract between AT&T and City of Riverside for municipal network build-out

The contract between AT&T and the City of Riverside,CA is available for public review. There is nothing unusual about the agreement, other than perhaps the dual 2.4/4.9 Ghz Band (for public safety). Here are the highlights.

AT&T designs, builds and owns the network
Three phases: Pilot (2sq mi, 4 month buildout), Phase 2 (55 square mile, 12 months) and phase 3, expansion to other areas, depending on population density
Dual 2.4 and 4.9 Ghz (Public Safety) network
Free service: 512Kbps/256Kbps – best effort (though AT T has agreed to add capacity if necessary to keep the system from deteriorating due to growing customer demand). Free service will be ad-supported though Metro-Fi
City commits to $1M over 5 years worth of broadband services, plus another $1M for additional services. It is estimated that the City would expend total of 4M for new Products and services from ATT (our estimate for the total buildout cost is approx 10 MM, so the city effectively pays for covers almost 1/2 of the cost)
Minimum of 40 VLANs
Open network: AT&T can sell direct and must sell wholesale to service providers. $12/month/account wholesale price, reviewed annually based on AT&T’s average retail rates (to ensure leveled playing field)
Portal will allow end-user to select between AT&T and other Service Providers. AT&T receives preferential position on the portal
Inbound and outbound roaming
Revenue Share: AT&T pays a share of fee-based services to SmartRiverside (a non profit organization chartered with Digital Inclusion services). Resellers must also contribute an unspecified amount to SmartRiverside
Back-haul will be the unlicensed 5.8 spectrum. “Potential” WiMax backhaul
Support

Online for free service

Business hours for fee-based

Resellers provide frontline support

Pricing for municipal services

$3 / month for low-bandwidth devices (90K/90K max)

$28 month for 1M/512K best effort

$50 / month for 1m/1m 4.9 Ghz

$180 /mo for 5.8 Ghz 3mbps

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:21:57 GMT

More reasons for adotping FMC: More Consumers See the Benefits of using a Single Integrated Provider than Multiple Providers.

When asked separately to state the benefits of a single integrated communications provider (covering wireline, wireless, cable/tv and internet) versus multiple providers, almost 3 times as many consumers could NOT state a benefit of a multiple provider. The top benefits of a single integrated provider revolve around simplicity (see Fact 4) and money savings. Simplicity translates into one-stop shopping, a single bill per month and a single number & voice mail.

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 18:31:46 GMT

NTT West Plans Wireless Mesh Across 100 Japanese Cities The annoucement is still pretty sketchy, but it does suggest that NTT may believe it can use wireless mesh to bring video to millions of users. Cable companies, take notice?

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 17:20:37 GMT

Is The WiFi Revolution Underway?. ABI Research sees a rise in the demand for consumer electronic products with wireless networking capabilities and an explosive growth for WiFi with a shift in the way entertainment is delivered. The firm expects shipments of WiFi-enabled consumer electronic devices to jump from 40 million this year to 249 million in 2011. The key to this expansion is the bridge between PC and TV and the growing use of mobile telephony but content availability and bandwidth problems could present as challenges to such possibility.
[NetStumbler.com]

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 17:19:50 GMT

More Wi-Fi Demanded In T-Mobile Poll. A survey by YouGov revealed that WiFi users hope for more hotspots in more locations. Half of the 253 respondents want WiFi access in trains and a quarter on the tube. Some 86 perecent with laptops, however, do not know how useful having such connection during rush hour. The study also showed that 45 percent of those surveyed use the technology to keep in touch with family and friends and 30 percent believed their work/life balance improved due to high-speed wireless connectivity.
[NetStumbler.com]

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 07:24:54 GMT

No Longer Just Talk: FMC Is Happening

UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access, a carrier-based implementation of Fixed-Mobile Convergence) is no longer a technology looking for an application; unlike a number of new technologies, UMA applications are already being commercialized on a relatively mass scale. A few sample deployments:

France: France is arguably the world’s most competitive fixed mobile convergence market. Spurred by acute competitive pressures, Orange and Neuf Cegetel have started pushing UMA- and SIP-based offerings in a marketplace that has consistently been at the forefront of new convergent technologies. For Orange, UMA is one of the first steps in its vision to generate 5–10 percent of revenue from converged services by 2008.

Sweden: TeliaSonera has announced the launch an FMC service enabled by UMA technology in November 2006. Called “Home Free,” the service promotes the concept of fixed-line termination, with the promise of a 20 percent savings on phone bills.

While this is not in the realm of savings that some fixed VoIP services have been able to provide, the single handset concept may be compelling enough for subscribers wishing to combine the benefits of fixed and mobile services. TeliaSonera also hinted at the availability of low-cost calling via participating public WiFi hotspots, although no specifics have been provided at this time.

USA: T-Mobile USA is the most likely candidate to UMA in the US market. For one, it has pushed bundled plans, free voice, and unlimited calling more than any other player in the market. It does not have 3G spectrum; even if it acquires some WCDMA spectrum (which appears likely), the network will take some time to build. UMA would help with those issues, and would provide a means of connecting its cellular and hotspot businesses while providing a unique a differentiated offering which only Cingular would be in a position to potentially match. T-Mobile has been testing UMA with Samsung’s T709 handset, and may launch by early Q107.

Source: Pyramid Research

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 05:05:17 GMT

Online payment methods for the un-banked

According to some industry forecasts, over 10 million low-income U.S. households will be brought online via municipal programs by 2010. In fact, the main impetus behind municipal networks is the economic and social development of under-served communities. Yet., most low-income families will not be able to take full advantage of the Internet: nearly 80 million people (about 36 million households) are “underserved” in terms of financial services, and most inner-city users of free or low-cost wireless broadband fall in this category.

This mostly means no credit card, debit card or even bank account. What is the benefit of being online if onecannot purchase goods and services, including books, music, clothes, participate in auctions or send money overseas at bargain rates? Municipal governments will soon find out that providing free broadband access to households that don't have means of paying electronically will significantly hinder adoption and effective use of the service. The answer? Prepaid, reloadable cards that do not require credit or even a bank account.

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:35:35 GMT

High Fees Holding Back 3G Services (PC World). PC World - Mobile TV and Web browsing too expensive for most users, study finds. [Yahoo! News: Wireless and Mobile Technology]

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:11:24 GMT

Are there real savings in VoWiFi?

According to several sources, between 50 and 75% of mobile calls are made at home, the office, a public place or some other indoor location. Considering the current rates of 802.11 penetration in the home, office, restaurant etc, this would imply that somewhere between 20% and 25 % of calls are made within range of an 802.11 access point today. Considering the average cost of a cellular minute vs. the average cost of a VoIP call terminating off-net, we estimate that a hybrid W-Fi / Cellular solution would save operators approximately 15% in costs today. Part of the issue is that Wi-Fi penetration in the home and small business, in spite of the astronomic growth of the last 4 years, is still relatively low (between 10% and 15%). We expect the savings to quickly increase as penetration of Wi-Fi in private and public locations continues to grow at double digit rates.

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 03:03:56 GMT

Municipal Wireless Networks: not a whole lot of room left!

Municipal Wireless Network planners have a harsh reality to contend with: they won't be the first one to claim rights to the contended 2.4 Ghz spectrum. Thousands of Access Point owners have already assessed "squatting rights" to the precious spectrum. The picture below shows a sample taken in the month of April of Wi-Fi access points identified at street level in the downtown area of Bozeman, MT (imagine what downtown Manhattan must look like) . This indicative sample shows that at the current stage of private Wi-Fi adoption, channel selection is - fortunately for any muni network advocate - still highly concentrated in 2-3 most popular factory-set channels (channels 6, 11 and 1), so there is room for a ...preemptive strike. Careful channel selection and constant monitoring of interference levels will be key to the performance of any city-wide network.

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:18:09 GMT

Shots Heard in Mobile WiMAX Revolution. Is all the activity at WiMAX World more bang than benefits? [Wi-Fi Planet Wireless News]

Qutes range from "A lot of people ask why we need another network? " to a more optimistic "It's going to take time for this stuff to happen". Not a particularly encouraging perspective for WiMax advocates...