EDUCAUSE Southwest Regional Conference 2003

EDUCAUSE Southwest EDUCAUSE Southwest Regional Conference 2003Regional Conference 2003

Wireless Convergence: More or Less the Sum of its Parts?

Doug JacksonDirector, Technology Customer ServicesUT Dallas

Copyright Doug Jackson 2003. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

Wireless Convergence: Wireless Convergence: More or Less the Sum of More or Less the Sum of

its Parts?its Parts?•Basic Technology Concepts

•WiFi b-a-g•Bluetooth•Cellular 2/2.5/3G

•Convergence•Driving Forces•General Trends•Projects & Timelines

•Wrapup

Basic Technology ConceptsBasic Technology Concepts

WiFi b-a-gWiFi b-a-g

(802.11 wireless lans)(802.11 wireless lans)

Basic Technology ConceptsBasic Technology ConceptsWiFi b-a-gWiFi b-a-g

IEEE Standards for Wireless LAN Spread Spectrum Radio Technology (802.11)

•802.11b- 2.4GHz @11mbps•802.11a- 5GHz @54mbps•802.11g- 2.4GHz @54mpbs

•802.11e- QoS services•802.11i- 802.1x security


Access Point Access Point - network - network device that links device that links wireless stations to the wireless stations to the wired network- $900-wired network- $900-$500/unit$500/unit

Wireless NIC cardsWireless NIC cards- USB or - USB or PC card -radio transceivers PC card -radio transceivers for the end users -- for the end users -- $795/card $795/card

$595/card$595/card $275/card$275/card $150/card$150/card

$85/card$85/card


802.11b- 11Mbps DSSS, 2.4GHz spectrum,802.11b- 11Mbps DSSS, 2.4GHz spectrum,failovers to 5.5, 2, 1 Mbpsfailovers to 5.5, 2, 1 Mbps

802.11a- 54Mbps max, 5GHz spectrum,802.11a- 54Mbps max, 5GHz spectrum,failovers to 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 6Mbpsfailovers to 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 6Mbps

802.11g -54Mbps max, 2.4GHz spectrum, 802.11g -54Mbps max, 2.4GHz spectrum, backward compatible with 802.11b backward compatible with 802.11b (not ratified yet)(not ratified yet)


802.11c- work moved to 802.1D802.11c- work moved to 802.1D802.11d- 802.11d- Extensions in other Regulatory DomainsExtensions in other Regulatory Domains

802.11e -802.11e -MAC Enhancements-Security/QoSMAC Enhancements-Security/QoS

802.11f- 802.11f- Inter-Access Point ProtocolInter-Access Point Protocol

802.11h- 802.11h- Spectrum Managed 5GhzSpectrum Managed 5Ghz

802.11i- 802.11i- Enhanced Security (TKIP and 802.1x)Enhanced Security (TKIP and 802.1x)


802.11802.11bb 802.11802.11aa 802.11802.11ggFrequency Frequency bandband 2.4GHz2.4GHz 5GHz5GHz 2.4GHz2.4GHz

Max data Max data raterate 11Mbps11Mbps 54Mbps54Mbps 54Mbps54Mbps

availabilityavailability WorldwideWorldwide USUS WorldwideWorldwide

Interference Interference sourcessources

Cordless phoneCordless phoneMicrowave ovenMicrowave ovenBluetoothBluetooth

HiperlanHiperlandevicesdevices

Cordless phoneCordless phoneMicrowave ovenMicrowave ovenBluetoothBluetooth

The Rules of Thumb of RadioHigher data rates usually imply shorter transmission rangeHigher power output increases range, but increases power consumption (less battery life)The higher the frequency, the higher the data rate (but smaller range).


802.11b802.11b@100Mw@100Mw

802.11a802.11a@40Mw@40Mw

802.11g802.11gestimatesestimates

50 ft50 ft 11Mbps11Mbps 54Mbps54Mbps 54Mbps54Mbps



150 ft150 ft 5.5Mbps5.5Mbps 6Mbps6Mbps 5.5Mbps5.5Mbps

250 ft250 ft 2Mbps2Mbps ??

350 ft350 ft 1Mbps1Mbps


BluetoothBluetooth

Basic Technology ConceptsBasic Technology ConceptsBluetoothBluetooth

What is “Bluetooth”?•Wireless lan technology (10 meters) or PAN•2.4GHz band with 1Mbps speed•Spread spectrum frequency-hopping•“always on” user-transparent cable-replacement•Combination of packet-switching & circuit-switching (good for data & voice)•3 voice channels - 64Kbps each


Why “Bluetooth”?•Low power•Economical•Transparently connects “office” devices

•Laptop•Desktop•PDA•Phone•printer

•Bridging capability: network-pda-phone


Why “Bluetooth”?•Master-slave piconets•Less susceptible to interference•Capable of connecting a mix of multiple piconets into “scatternet”•Service discovery protocol allows invisible interaction of various “trusted” devices


CellularCellular

Basic Technology ConceptsBasic Technology ConceptsCellularCellular

Basic Cellular Technologies•2G (2nd generation) - Digital phones with speeds upto 14.4K•2.5G - Digital service with higher speeds and packet based always-on service (~144K) •3G -

•144K in high-mobility environments•384K in low-mobility•2M indoor connections


Basic Cellular Technologies•Cellular operates at 800, 1800 and 1900 MHz•Competing technologies (and Acronym obsessive) - GSM, TDMA, CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, ??•Basic technology competitors are CDMA and GSM/GPRS•SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) now replacing H.323 for voice over IP (audio services)


Basic Cellular Technology Services•GPRS - AT&T, TMobile, Cingular, others•CDMA - Sprint, Verizon

•CDMA roadmap (Sprint) - •Current service 144kbps (50-70 typical)•2003 - 288kbps (may skip for next phase)•2003 - 2.2Mbps•2004 - 3 to 5Mbps

•Current technology in place on towers


Basic Cellular Technology Services•GPRS - AT&T, TMobile, Cingular, others

•Current service ~70kbps (35kbps)•2004 - 288kbps•2005 (or later) - 2.2Mbps

•Current towers must be upgraded for each phase•AT&T has put a hold on “3G” deployments

Convergence:Convergence:Driving ForcesDriving Forces

What is “convergence”?

• 802.11 - 802.15 - cellular wireless technologies all competing for customers• 802.11 WLANs offer “hotspots” at nominal cost (sometimes “free”)• Cellular services used worldwide• 802.15 Bluetooth offers bridging options for WLAN and cellular services


Why “convergence”?

• Eliminate disparate devices• Eliminate/reduce disparate services (and billing)• Laundry list of 802.11 matches current cellular services• Different services available in different locations/environments


Why “convergence”? Some issues…

• Convergence will be the “4G” service• Telco carriers fear being “left out” of new technology• No clear revenue model exists for new hybrid data-voice services• Cellular carriers don’t want the “taint” of suspect security inherent in WLANs

Convergence:Convergence:General TrendsGeneral Trends

Alliances, Partnerships, Coalitions,…

•AT&T, Intel, IBM (and investors) form “Cometa”, a company to provide wireless hot spots across the country

•Motorola, Proxim and Avaya form partnership to provide seamless roaming between WiFi and cellular networks

•HP and Transat Technologies collaborating on project to link 2G/3G to WiFi “hotspots”

Convergence:Convergence:General TrendsGeneral Trends

Competing Technologies…

•BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) is now being planned with the IEEE 802.16 standard for 10GHz to 66GHz as well as 802.16e (2GHz to 11GHz), new WiMAX (similar to WiFi)

•IPWireless offers broadband mobile services (1.9 & 2.5GHz) with 2.5Mbps speeds at upto 80mph (cell sites cover 500x 802.11b area)

•UWB (UltraWideBand) is an emerging short-distance technology operating at 100Mbps to 500Mbps (Bluetooth is 1Mbps)

WrapupWrapup

Impact of these technologies moving toward Convergence…

•Hybrid 802.11b/a/g cards offering cellular services •Seamless roaming between WLANs (free access) and cellular (billed service)•Best signal connectivity and/or Least cost connectivity (user selectable?)

WrapupWrapup

Impact of these technologies moving toward Convergence…

• Dual WiFi/cellular phones using SIP• 6 party conference call with 1-button drop/add/transfer functions• Single mailbox for user, regardless of service type (WLAN, Cellular, etc)• Service charges that take into account roaming between free and cost wireless environments

WrapupWrapup

Thank You!

This presentation can be found at the following URL:

http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/wlans

http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/wlans

WrapupWrapupURLsURLs

Pittsburgh Public Hotspots:http://www.telerama.com/

Bluetooth SIG:http://www.bluetooth.com/

DSSS and Bluetooth coexistence:http://www.wi-fi.org/downloads/Coexistence_Paper_Intersil_Aug18.pdf

http://www.telerama.com/



http://www.bluetooth.com/



http://www.wi-fi.org/downloads/Coexistence_Paper_Intersil_Aug18.pdf








FCC 3G Service Description:http://www.fcc.gov/3G/

3G “mobile multimedia” resources page:http://www.mobile3g.com/

http://www.fcc.gov/3G/

http://www.mobile3g.com/


UWB background:http://www.uwb.org/faqs.html

Sprint BWA FAQ:http://www.sprintbroadband.com/statusFAQ.html

WorldCom BWA Services:http://www.worldcom.com/us/products/access/broadband/wireless/

http://www.uwb.org/faqs.html





http://www.sprintbroadband.com/statusFAQ.html





http://www.worldcom.com/us/products/access/broadband/wireless/

WrapupWrapupTermsTerms

CDMA- “Code Division Multiple Access” Spread spectrum technology for managing multiple access by assigning digital codes and broadcasting the signal across a broader spectrum.

TDMA- “Time Division Multiple Access” Technology for managing multiple access by dividing channels (available radio spectrum) into time slots with access in a round-robin fashion.

CDMA advantages over TDMA- call clarity, network capacity, more service provisioning, improved privacy, fewer dropped calls, fewer upgrades at the tower.


GSM- “Global System for Mobile telecommunications” Designed as international digital cellular service based upon TDMA. European version operates in 900 and 1800 MHz band and is not compatible with North American 1900 MHz version. Multi-band GSM phones can overcome this problem.

GPRS- “General Packet Radio Service” GPRS for GSM provides higher-speed data services for mobile users. It is a packet-switching technology better suited to the “bursty” nature of data communications.


EDGE - “Enhanced Data for Global Evolution” EDGE for GSM offers 300Kbps (or better) and both circuit-switched and packet-switched data communications. Use an adaptive modulation scheme and is designed for GSM operators that do not have third-generation licenses but wish to remain competitive with wideband services.

“True” 3G Technologies:Wideband cdmaOne, W-CDMA, and W-CDMA/NA are three competing wideband CDMA technologies for “true” 3G services. A TDMA solution for 3G is also being considered.