I still don’t have WiFi. Why not? Well, several reasons, actually. First off, I’m cheap, and still haven’t decided it’s worth putting into my tiny apartment. Second, I can’t decide whether to get 802.11g, or the cheaper 802.11b, which at 11mbps is still faster than my 3mbps cable modem. Decisions, decisions.
And as so often seems to happen in my life, my procrastination might pay off. As cool as wifi is, it might soon be irrelevant for those always on the go.
Verizon and Sprint are rolling out a new data service called evDO. This is a 3G data service that offers packet-based internet access separate from the CDMA voice network. Instead of using the phone like modem, converting digital data to analog and then back to digital again, evDO sends the digital data directly, much like a DSL or cable “modem” would.
While wireless carriers have provided packet data before, speeds have been unimpressive. GSM carriers like T-Mobice and Cingular offered data in the 30-50kbps range, roughly what you’d get from a slightly noisy landline modem. In short, narrowband. CDMA carriers weren’t much better, in the 60-80kbps range.
That was with 2.5G technology, the “second and a half” generation wireless. evDO (and its slightly slower GSM counterpart, Edge) is a 3G technology. evDO offers speeds in the 2.5Mbps range, as fast as many cable modems.
So lemme get this straight. Instead of getting wireless broadband only in specific locations, I can get it anywhere? Why would I continue the eternal search for hotspots?
Well, price for one. evDO is pricey, moreso than most WiFi plans. And WiFi is getting cheaper. By the end of this year McDonald’s is supposed to have WiFi in every one of their restaurants nationwide. One hour for free with every combo meal. At the end of the hour, you can purchase another hour for $3.95 or just buy another combo meal. In a lot of cases, WiFi won’t cost more than the initial price of the hardware.
What 3G will do is force WiFi prices down. T-Mobile will have to adopt more aggressive pricing for their hotspot program if they want to stay competitive.
4 Comments
Cost is definitely the main factor. Here in Hong Kong I’ve already switched to 3G phone service, and though the speed is impressive, my plan only includes 500Kb of data per MONTH; I’ll hit its limit by only opening a few web pages. Anything after that is charged per Kb. Totally impractical. I guess I won’t be throwing away my WiFi setup anytime soon.
kwong
http://homepage.mac.com/kwong/
Jeff, I think 3G vs. WiFi has very much to do with what you intend to do with the access and your lifestyle. If you’re more mobile than stationery, 3G might be a better fit. If you’re stationery more than mobile, then I think a WiFi and cable/DSL connection would be more practical.
What excites me is the point at which you could have both if you like and see them switch seamlessly between each other.
I am already living the mobile internet life by using SprintPCS Vision for both my voice and data needs. It’s a shame that I can’t use BlueTooth, though. My connection tops out at 100kbps, which is much better than the 43 kbps on my old land-line modem. I haven’t yet bought any broadband service: it’s ridiculously expensive if I don’t want cable (basically $48 for either cable modem or DSL). I wonder how Sprint will upgrade, or not, its Vision data plans?
I use BT with T-Mobile for wireless access on the go and I have an 802.11g network in my home/office. As with anything, cost is a factor and since I’m not mobile much, these add-on services get pretty expensive for occasional use. We have few free Wifi hotspots in my area so Wifi around town is not really an option. Here’s hoping that these new services force the cost of Wifi down to reasonable levels.
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