Covering the Last Mile, Finally

A new communications standard could make wireless broadband Internet access a reality no matter where you live.

By Matthew Maier, Business 2.0

Like long-distance runners nearing the end of a grueling race, broadband Internet access providers http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,1660,69137,00.html have had trouble covering the so-called last mile, the connection from main telephone trunk lines to individual houses. That means that many people who live in rural or hard-to-reach areas have had trouble getting broadband service http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,,3692,00.html Now, however, thanks to a recently updated communications protocol, broadband wireless technology is stepping in to help bridge the gap.

Officially known as 802.16 http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,1660,69772,00.html the standard is more commonly called WMAN (wireless metropolitan area network)http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,1660,70189,00.html and is a low-cost alternative to cable and DSL service. WMAN uses both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrum to wirelessly connect consumers and enterprises to the long-haul fiber networks that crisscross the nation, making up the backbone of the Internet.

So far, WMAN comes in two flavors: the original standard, 802.16, and its cousin, 802.16a, which was ratified in January by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, an industry standards body http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,,4405,00.html 802.16 offers only line-of-sight, fixed wireless Internet access in the 10- to 66-gigahertz range and will be used by, among others, police and fire departments.

Meanwhile, the newer 802.16a will connect users in situations where a line-of-sight connection isn’t possible. With ranges in excess of 50 kilometers (31 miles) in rural areas and three to five kilometers (about 2 to 3 miles) in more densely populated urban regions, this standard is seen as the best consumer-focused broadband wireless alternative. It’s even compatible with Wi-Fi equipment http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,,14915,00.html making it a good system for connecting Wi-Fi hotspots http://www.business2.com/webguide/0,1660,70843,00.html to the Internet.

The idea of using fixed broadband wireless access as an alternative to DSL or cable is not new. Sprint (PCS) used to offer something called Broadband Direct, which launched in 2000 and offered line-of-sight wireless service for $49.95 a month to consumers in a dozen markets. But that service ultimately failed because of high equipment costs, equipment-installation pitfalls (you often had to call a technician to your house), and spotty coverage. To avoid making the same mistakes, the architects of 802.16a spent three years testing prototype equipment in real-world environments and ironing out any problems that could crop up between different vendor systems.

Whether all that testing will pay off remains to be seen. The first 802.16a-compliant equipment won’t hit the market until the middle of next year. However, wireless industry group WiMax Forum is already developing a certification program to help standardize access equipment, hoping to lower the cost and increase the quality of service provided by 802.16a gear. With big-name members like Nokia (NOK) and Intel (INTC) — along with a slew of smaller, innovative companies such as Alvarion, Aperto Networks, and Proxim — the WiMax Forum is committed to speeding up adoption of 802.16a equipment.

Many see pervasive broadband penetration as one of the final requirements for a truly networked, information-driven society. It comes as no surprise, then, that the wireless industry — one of the early pioneers in connecting far-flung entities — is so active in its attempts to cross one of broadband’s most-enduring barriers. If wireless can help bring broadband across the last mile, the sky’s the limit.