Wi-Fi: the Real 4G!

Brough TurnernetBlazr

brough@netblazr.com

Wi-Fi Mobile• Local, products• Data centric• Stationary or

pedestrian speeds• Many vendors, many

market segments, billions of customers

• Ubiquitous service• Voice centric• Mobile at auto

speeds• 4-6 vendors,

~300 customers,1 application

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Wi-Fi

• Technology leadership• Off-load solution• Backhaul & fixed wireless

4 October 2010

Spectrum history• 1920s: Primitive radio receivers– Needed to restrict who transmits

• 1927- 1934: Origin of FCC, spectrum licensing– Ensuing decades - almost all spectrum assigned– Three bands reserved for “junk” uses

• 1985: FCC authorizes spreadspectrum communications in the ISM, or “junk” bands, i.e. – 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz

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Wi-Fi History1985 FCC permits communications in “junk bands” at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz & 5.8 GHz

1988 - 1997 IEEE bodies iterate; eventually publish first 802.11 specThree alternate solutions for 1 Mbps operation with a 2 Mbps option

1999 802.11a – 54 Mbps at 5.8 GHz using OFDM modulation

1999 802.11b – 11 Mbps at 2.4 GHz using DSSS modulation

1999 Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) formed– Focuses on interoperability and a certification program

2001 802.11d – extends the spec for other regulatory domains (EU, Japan, etc.)

2003 802.11g – 54 Mbps at 2.4 GHz using OFDM modulation

2003 WECA adopts new name: Wi-Fi Alliance

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Additional highlights• 1997: FCC authorizes Unlicensed National Information

Infrastructure (U-NII) adding 200 MHz in 5 GHz band• 2003: FCC adds 255 MHz more @ 5 GHZ; total now 555 MHz• 2003-2009: Task Group n works to dramatically improve Wi-Fi

performance, in part via MIMO and Beam forming

• 2007: 802.11n draft 2 products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance; Products shipping!• 2009: 802.11n spec approved

74 October 2010

Wi-Fi has pioneered commercial deployment of thekey ‘4G’ wireless technologies:

OFDM, MIMO, Beamforming

Wi-Fi Mobile• Local, products• Data centric• Stationary or

pedestrian speeds• Many vendors, many

market segments, billions of customers

• Ubiquitous service• Voice centric• Mobile at auto

speeds• 4-6 vendors,

~300 customers,1 application

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ITU’s Vision for 3G (late 90s)

Satellite

Macrocell Microcell

UrbanIn-Building

Picocell

Global

Suburban

Basic TerminalPDA Terminal

Audio/Visual Terminal

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“3G” Services• Video telephony• Location-based services• Push-to-Talk (VoIP w/o QoS)• Rich presence (instant messaging)• Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC)• IP Multimedia Services (w/ QoS)

– Video sharing (conversational video on IP)

• Converged “All IP” networks – the Vision

Limited adoption

Limited adoption

Limited adoption

Limited adoption

Bypassed !

No traction

Too late …

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The Internet is the killer platform

• Mobile Internet access drives 3G data usage

• Walled garden– too late !

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iPhone traffic

US data traffic

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= 3.3x per year…

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Global mobile data traffic• Nearly tripled between 2Q2009 and 2Q2010

4 October 2010

Source: Ericsson, Aug 2010

2Q2009 2Q20100

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

TB/month

TB/month

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US 3G performance• Novarum Inc. (1/2010)– Measurements in

36 cities (Anaheim, …, Boston, …, Philly, …, Raleigh, …, Tempe)

– 12-2009: 1.5 Mbps down

• Doubles: ~24 months

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Increasing capacity

Operator Services

Femtocell

Wi-Fi

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Internet

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1. Add Cellsites ($$$$)2. Newer radios ($$$)3. More backhaul ($$$$)

4. Femtocells ($$)5. Wi-Fi ($)

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Femtocells: too little, too late• Primary users of 3G/4G data also have Wi-Fi– Laptops, smart phones

• Corporate IT prefers Wi-Fi they control• Consumers deploying Wi-Fi anyway– For PCs, for gaming, for home media– Pay extra to help carrier improve their network?

• Femtocell’s do have value for voice coverage!

Public Wi-Fi• Retail business giveaway– Coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, retail– Harvard Sq. Business Association

• Sponsorship – locations, events

• Carrier supported– e.g. Cablevision’s

Optimum Wi-Fi

By kumasawa

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Ad supported Wi-Fi • Didn’t work in 2005; working now… – Costs way down; usage and interest up

• Freerunr in UK (& NL, RS, ZA)– Splash screens, limited free periods, …

• JiWire in US – Ad platform for free Wi-Fi– Used by MS Bing nationwide Wi-Fi offer

• Sputnik in US – Ad supported model growing

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Muni Wi-Fi, take 2• Wireless broadband access networks– Dozens of US cities now succeeding

• Cities bring real estate, look to save current $– Communications for police & other city services

• Strong pressure for “free” in some form

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Wi-Fi will dominate off load• LTE network for coverage,

but most data bytes via Wi-Fi

• Operator take away: Sell ubiquitous service

any place, any time while integrating seamless Wi-Fi data offload

4 October 2010

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Backhaul / Fixed wireless

• Middle mile–Cell sites– Fixed wireless hubs

4 October 2010

• First mile− Homes and businesses

$220 per Mbps $7 per MbpsUS Today

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How could wireless possibly help?• Limited capacity– 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 1 Gbps, …

• Licensed spectrum expensive– Only partially true

• Unlicensed unreliable…– Not any more!

• Wi-Fi doesn’t go far– 20-50 km! for < $500!

4 October 2010

Wireless tipping point• MIMO makes 5 GHz more useful than

cellular or TV spectrum• Directional antennas or beam forming →

Spatial reuse → incredible density increments

• Wi-Fi leads the way–Moore’s law with existing 802.11n spec.–New specs, e.g. 802.11ac, ~ Dec 2012

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Beamforming• Select among multiple predefined antenna elements– Widely used (2G, 3G, Wi-Fi – Vivato, Ruckus Wireless)

• Adaptive antenna arrays– Compute phase/amplitude for each antenna element– Adapts for desired signal while also reducing interference

8 antenna elementsspread over 3.5 λs, i.e. ~18 cm, or < 7.5” at 5.8 GHz

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Commercial beamforming Wi-Fi beams, before silicon support …• Vivato (’02-’06)

– Technical success, but expensive – Connect with 11g clients up to 2 km– Vivato-to-Vivato up to 18 km

• Ruckus Wireless (today) – 12 elements – selectively switched to

two channels on 2x2 silicon– Dramatically outperforms conventional

2x2 systems

• 11n wireless networking solutions in silicon• Founded 2006; customers include Netgear• 4x4 MIMO with beamforming

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Beamforming~2014: >300 Mbps Wi-Fi to ~1 Km at mass market prices …

4x4 MIMOwith 8

antenna elements

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TVWS – Beach-front spectrum?• Ideal antenna element

separation >= ½ wavelength– 2.1 meters at 70 MHz– 21 cm at 700 MHz

• But only– 2.5 cm for 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi

Wavion Networks

D-Link DAP-2553

Ruckus Wireless

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ILEC price umbrella

• >20x markup fosters wireless bypass– Typical WISPs operating 20%-50% under

monopolist’s price umbrella

Wireless ISPs

• > 2000 WISPs, in fast growing segment– Most use license-

exempt spectrum– Mix of

pre-WiMAX, WiMAX and, increasingly, Wi-Fi gear

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Wi-Fi for wireless broadband• WISPs already use license-exempt

spectrum• Rapidly migrating to 11n technology– Performance advantage is significant

• Dramatically lower cost– 5x or more vs WiMAX or LTE systems– Increasing reliability, similar performance

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Ubiquiti targets Wireless ISPs

Point-to-point$130-$600

Point-to-multipoint~$240 & $68

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Example Wi-Fi Pt-2-Pt LinkUbiquiti BULLET-M5-HP With 28dbi Grid Antenna 802.11n

Purchased through distribution:

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Community WISP, Inc.

• Wireless broadband Internet access for Brevard County FL• Served from 4 locations• 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, i.e. all license-exempt spectrum• 30/10 Mbps in many areas• Expanding into Volusia and Seminole counties

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• Focused radio links– 100 Mbps; 50-200 meters per hop

• Freemium Model– Customers build our network– Premium services drive revenue

netBlazr

Radically different ISP

Summary• 4G Wireless tipping point• Wi-Fi deploying key “4G” technologies, first !• Wi-Fi will dominate 3G/4G data offload• Wi-Fi fostering resurgence in independent ISPs

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An end run around the duopoly, the FCC and Congress

opportunity:

Thank YouBrough Turnerbrough@netblazr.com

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Credits, References• Image credits, beyond those noted in-line…

– Office building facade: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Beek100– Laptop icon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ichibod/– Microwave oven: http://www.flickr.com/photos/code_martial/

• Other useful references– Novarum Inc. measurements: http://www.novarum.com/publications.php

– NIST Electromagnetic Signal Attenuation in Construction Materials http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build97/PDF/b97123.pdf

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802.11n in-the-field• Ken Biba:

– The King is Dead, Long Live the King: 802.11n dramatically improves Wi-Fi outdoors

– Real world measurements show muni Wi-Fi networks outperform WiMAX and cellular

• Tom’s Hardware– Reviews Ruckus Wireless 11n access point with beamforming,

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/beamforming-wifi-ruckus,2390.html

• Net, net – it really works!

In-Stat (Nov 09)

• Worldwide hotspots reach 245,000 venues in 2009• Hotspot connects increased in 2009 by 47 percent,

bringing total worldwide 1.2 billion connects• Wi-Fi handset shipments grew 50%, 2007 to 2008• Wi-Fi-enabled entertainment device (cameras,

gaming devices, and personal media players) shipments projected to increase from 108.8 million in 2009 to 177.3 million in 2013

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ABI Research (August 2009)• ABI projects 1 billion Wi-Fi chips in 2011• Global shipments of Wi-Fi-enabled cell phones

to double between 2009 and 2011– 144 million in 2009 to 300 million in 2011

• 90% of smart phones Wi-Fi capable by 2014

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2004 view of Wi-Fi market• Rampant growth

however…• Article in ‘The

Economist’ warns Wi-Fi under threat:

• WiMAX in wide area• WiMedia in home

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Enterprise design adapted for BB

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