Posted on 09/14/2002 1:14:28 PM PDT by sourcery
Yes. Run fiber down the street. Connect each house using UWB. The only threat to this scenario would be for UWB to replace traditional broadcasting technology entirely (which is technically possible, but politically difficult). Were that to happen, fiber would go the way of copper--and so would all those currently-expensive broadcasting licences (not to mention the FCC itself).
Technological revolutions can sometimes be seen as threatening to existing businesses and investments, and therefore cause short to intermediate term devaluations of entire market sectors. Think of UWB as analogous to integrated circuits/personal computers, circa 1970.
Wanna be Penguified? Just holla!
Good article!
Possibly this could be a contractual thing with the local cable company providing UWB to the city.
There are many possible options.
The telephone companies may even be receptive, if they could then forego the inconvenience of having to run wire/fiber optic cable to each and every residence.
Consider the cost savings for residential connection alone.
Simple running fiber optic cable down streets or alleys, and setting up transmitter stations at the corner of the block would be sufficient to provide service to a block-wide coverage area.
Interestingly, I live in an area in far North Raleigh, NC, that is "new" and.....let's just say "upscale". There is fiber to the curb here. Sprint, the local provider, offers (and we use) a high-speed Internet option that uses no modem (it isn't DSL; it isn't cable modem). They literally provide an RJ-45 jack in your home, and you connect directly to their network. They use ONU's (Optical Networking Units) to interface the "copper" from the homes to the fiber. Works like ten champs.
Of course, in the house here, I've set up a wireless network. I opted for 802.11b due to the still-rather-prohibitive cost of 802.11a gear, but mainly because the sustained data rates over "high speed" internet connections are still well within 802.11b range. Still, I love it. :)
I am looking at getting a laptop with High Rate wireless LAN PC card and the associated Gateway.
Uses the popular IEEE 802.11b wireless technology. Good to hear it works as advertised!
The FCC permits quite a few "imaging" applications (think "radar") for automotive and specialized uses. The blurb on telecomms from the FCC Press Release for the FR&O makes it clear that you're not gonna cover too much real estate with these puppies.
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While prowling for even more news, I stumbled upon a link to an 802.11b networking roundup over at PCStats. 802.11b might not be the latest and greatest, but it's still an affordable means of adding some wireless capabilities to your LAN.
Unlike a wired network, a wireless LAN, or WLAN transmits your data (personal, public, or whatever) through unlicensed airwaves that anyone within range can potentially intercept. There are ways to safeguard that data - and the first such step is enabling 64-bit or 128-bit Wired Equivalent Protocol (WEP).
The laptop owners out there will certainly find such an article of interest. People ask me why I'm still "wired" and I just reply that it probably has something to do with the amount of pepsi I drink (Sorry, that was lame). If you're currently running a wireless network, enable WEP. Read on.
Link:
I've been running 802.11b for about 8 months for my internal network. Since WEP, the security for 802.11, is badly broken, I put an OpenBSD gateway between the wireless access point and the rest of my internal network. The OpenBSD box runs IPSEC as does my laptop, creating an encrypted link across the wireless connection.
Installing the NetGear wireless card on my laptop was as easy as installing the PCMCIA card and letting autodetect find it. I set up IPSEC to start automatically on bootup, as well as the firewall software the keeps anything but IPSEC from connecting to the laptop.
It was a snap. It stays up for weeks at a time while I surf the 'net from in front of the television. Occasionaly I grab the laptop and wander out onto the porch with a beer. But I expected it would work perfectly and stay working perfectly.
You see, I run Linux on my laptop. I have come to expect stability, ease of use and security. And once again, I wasn't disappointed.
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