Pros and cons of various broadband technologies

By: Business Day

THERE are several competing broadband technologies for mobile executives to choose from, and each have their strengths and limitations, says Shergen Padayachee, wireless technology manager at Grintek.
 

For example, 3G is available on the mobile networks globally, but at 384 kilobits per second it cannot deliver the same speed as ADSL, which provides up to 1 megabit per second (mbps) in a wired environment.

He says WiFi is used in hotspots and wireless local area networks (LANs) and provides throughput speeds of up to 54mbps, shared by the number of users linked to each access point. But WiFi typically operates on the unlicensed 2,4 gigahertz wireless band shared by many different types of wireless devices and this can cause signal interference.

He says by contrast 3G runs on the licensed 1900 band which only mobile operators can access.

Another factor with WiFi is that its range is limited to 100 metres, which means installing many access points to provide wide coverage, which is why the technology is mainly used in indoor environments.

Another wireless technology in the pipeline is WiMAX, which delivers download speeds of up to 10mbps, says Padayachee.

“We have demonstrated speeds of up to 10,6mbps over a radius of 40km in recent Telkom WiMAX trials.”

Before WiMAX services can be introduced, radio base stations and antennae must be erected across the country and user terminals will be needed to access the network, says Padayachee.

In the interim, local operators are expected to deploy the technology as early as October, before full certification but based on the same standards, so they may need to effect a minor upgrade to their networks to comply with the certified standard fully, he says.

He says initially WiMAX users will be issued with access equipment that can only be used with one operator, but once the certification has been finalised users will be able to switch from one operator to another using standard equipment.

WiMAX services will initially be confined to data access from a fixed antenna from the home and a modem device that plugs into a PC or laptop. Eventually users will be able to purchase a data card that allows them to connect to the service from anywhere, he says.

Padayachee says all the different wireless and mobile technologies have a role to play in the market. For example operators will probably deploy WiMAX where other broadband services are not available.