Wi-Fi is the new 4G

Wi-‐Fi: the Real 4G!

Brough Turner netBlazr

[email protected]

Wi-‐Fi Mobile •  Local, products •  Data centric •  Sta@onary or pedestrian speeds

•  Ubiquitous service •  Voice centric •  Mobile at auto speeds

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•  Many vendors, many market segments, billions of customers


•  4-‐6 vendors, ~300 customers, 1 applica@on

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Wi-‐Fi

• Technology leadership • Off-‐load solu@on • Backhaul & fixed wireless

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Spectrum history •  1920s: Primi@ve radio receivers –  Needed to restrict who transmits

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•  1927-‐ 1934: Origin of FCC, spectrum licensing –  Ensuing decades -‐ almost all spectrum assigned

–  Three bands reserved for “junk” uses

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–  Three bands reserved for “junk” uses •  1985: FCC authorizes spread spectrum communica@ons in the ISM, or “junk” bands, i.e. –  900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz

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–  Three bands reserved for “junk” uses •  1985: FCC authorizes spread spectrum communica@ons in the ISM, or “junk” bands, i.e. –  900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz

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Wi-‐Fi History 1985 FCC permits communica@ons in “junk bands” at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz & 5.8 GHz

1988 -‐ 1997 IEEE bodies iterate; eventually publish first 802.11 spec Three alternate solu@ons for 1 Mbps opera@on with a 2 Mbps op@on

1999 802.11a – 54 Mbps at 5.8 GHz using OFDM modula@on

1999 802.11b – 11 Mbps at 2.4 GHz using DSSS modula@on

1999 Wireless Ethernet Compa@bility Alliance (WECA) formed – Focuses on interoperability and a cer@fica@on 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 modula@on

2003 WECA adopts new name: Wi-‐Fi Alliance

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Wi-‐Fi History 1985 FCC permits communica@ons in “junk bands” at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz & 5.8 GHz

1988 -‐ 1997 IEEE bodies iterate; eventually publish first 802.11 spec Three alternate solu@ons for 1 Mbps opera@on with a 2 Mbps op@on

1999 802.11a – 54 Mbps at 5.8 GHz using OFDM modula@on

1999 802.11b – 11 Mbps at 2.4 GHz using DSSS modula@on

1999 Wireless Ethernet Compa@bility Alliance (WECA) formed – Focuses on interoperability and a cer@fica@on 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 modula@on

2003 WECA adopts new name: Wi-‐Fi Alliance

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Addi@onal highlights •  1997: FCC authorizes Unlicensed Na@onal Informa@on

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 drama@cally improve Wi-‐Fi performance, in part via MIMO and Beam forming

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•  2007: 802.11n drak 2 products cer@fied by the Wi-‐Fi Alliance; Products shipping!

•  2009: 802.11n spec approved





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•  Many vendors, many market segments, billions of customers


•  4-‐6 vendors, ~300 customers, 1 applica@on

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ITU’s Vision for 3G (late 90s)

Satellite

Macrocell Microcell

Urban In-‐Building

Picocell

Global

Suburban

Basic Terminal PDA Terminal

Audio/Visual Terminal

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

•  IP Mul@media Services (w/ QoS) –  Video sharing (conversa@onal video on IP)

•  Converged “All IP” networks – the Vision

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

•  IP Mul@media Services (w/ QoS) –  Video sharing (conversa@onal video on IP)

•  Converged “All IP” networks – the Vision

Limited adop+on

Limited adop+on

Limited adop+on

Limited adop+on

Bypassed !

No trac+on

Too late …

The Internet is the killer plaqorm

•  Mobile Internet access drives 3G data usage

•  Walled garden –  too late !

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iPhone traffic

US data traffic

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US data traffic

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= 3.3x per year…

Global mobile data traffic

•  Nearly tripled between 2Q2009 and 2Q2010

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Source: Ericsson, Aug 2010

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

2Q2009 2Q2010

TB/month

TB/month

US 3G performance

•  Novarum Inc. (1/2010) – Measurements in 36 ci@es (Anaheim, …, Boston, …, Philly, …, Raleigh, …, Tempe)

–  12-‐2009: 1.5 Mbps down

•  Doubles: ~24 months

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Increasing capacity

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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 ($)

Femtocells: too livle, 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!

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Public Wi-‐Fi •  Retail business giveaway – Coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, retail – Harvard Sq. Business Associa@on

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•  Sponsorship – loca@ons, events By kumasawa

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•  Sponsorship – loca@ons, events •  Carrier supported – e.g. Cablevision’s Op@mum 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 plaqorm for free Wi-‐Fi – Used by MS Bing na@onwide 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 ci@es now succeeding

•  Ci@es bring real estate, look to save current $ – Communica@ons 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 +me

while integra@ng seamless Wi-‐Fi data offload

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Backhaul / Fixed wireless

•  Middle mile – Cell sites – Fixed wireless hubs

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•  First mile − Homes and businesses

$220 per Mbps $7 per Mbps US Today

How could wireless possibly help?

•  Limited capacity –  .

•  Licensed spectrum expensive – Only par@ally true

•  Unlicensed unreliable… – Not any more!

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

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•  Limited capacity – 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 1 Gbps, …




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Wireless @pping point •  MIMO makes 5 GHz more useful than cellular or TV spectrum

•  Direc@onal antennas or beam forming → Spa@al reuse → incredible density increments

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Wireless @pping point •  MIMO makes 5 GHz more useful than cellular or TV spectrum

•  Direc@onal antennas or beam forming → Spa@al reuse → incredible density increments

• Wi-‐Fi leads the way – Moore’s law with exis@ng 802.11n spec.

– New specs, e.g. 802.11ac, ~ Dec 2012

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

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•  Adap@ve antenna arrays –  Compute phase/amplitude for each antenna element

–  Adapts for desired signal while also reducing interference

8 antenna elements spread 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

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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 – selec@vely switched to

two channels on 2x2 silicon

–  Drama@cally outperforms conven@onal 2x2 systems

•  11n wireless networking solu@ons 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 MIMO with 8 antenna elements

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TVWS – Beach-‐front spectrum?

•  Ideal antenna element separa@on >= 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 opera@ng 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 migra@ng to 11n technology – Performance advantage is significant

•  Drama@cally lower cost –  5x or more vs WiMAX or LTE systems

–  Increasing reliability, similar performance

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Ubiqui@ targets Wireless ISPs

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Point-‐to-‐point $130-‐$600

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Point-‐to-‐point $130-‐$600

Point-‐to-‐mul@point ~$240 & $68

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

Purchased through distribu@on:

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Community WISP, Inc.

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•  Wireless broadband Internet access for Brevard County FL

•  Served from 4 loca@ons

•  900 MHz, 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz, i.e. all license-‐exempt spectrum

•  30/10 Mbps in many areas

•  Expanding into Volusia and Seminole coun@es

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

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

Radically different ISP

Summary

•  4G Wireless @pping 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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Summary

•  4G Wireless @pping 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 You Brough Turner

[email protected]

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

–  Office building facade: hvp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Beek100 –  Laptop icon: hvp://www.flickr.com/photos/ichibod/ –  Microwave oven: hvp://www.flickr.com/photos/code_mar@al/

•  Other useful references –  Novarum Inc. measurements: hvp://www.novarum.com/[email protected]

–  NIST Electromagne@c Signal Avenua@on in Construc@on Materials hvp://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 drama@cally 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,

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

•  Net, net – it really works!