How Far Away Is Wireless Internet?

[2BLUE]

How Far Away Is it in the future to have wireless internet everywhere...like a cellphone ?

[Hi-Psi]

There are cities in the States that are signing contracts with AT&T for wireless internet throughout the city. I was in St.Louis a couple weeks ago and they just signed theirs.

Jay

[spyce]

Dont they already have the internet on cellphones?..

I say the first step is to getting rid of people still on 56k..

[natejj]

San Francisco has wireless coverage over the entire city I think.

Internet on cellphones dont use wireless networks like computers do.

[ken-gsr]

isn't that what blue tooth is?

[BerserkerCatSplat]

If I'm not mistaken, a company did a pilot project for full-city wireless right here in calgary a while ago. There's a thread about it somewhere.

[natejj]

Originally posted by ken-gsr
isn't that what blue tooth is?

Blue tooth is another version of shorter range wireless, for electronic devices. Like, I can transfer info from my cell to my PC with bluetooth, because they both have it. Or I could have a wireless earpiece and bluetooth it to my cellphone. It doesnt have anything to do with internet. I think. Im pretty sure.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by 2BLUE
How Far Away Is it in the future to have wireless internet everywhere...like a cellphone ?

8-10 years is my bet.

Cellphone showed up in the early 80s but isn't popular until late 90s. Cell data is still in it's infancy we are still a few upgrades and price drops away from mass adoption.

And the fact that landline, will still provide better, faster, more consistent access to the net down the road. This will slow down the advancement in wireless internet.

[2BLUE]

Originally posted by Xtrema


8-10 years is my bet.

Cellphone showed up in the early 80s but isn't popular until late 90s. Cell data is still in it's infancy we are still a few upgrades and price drops away from mass adoption.

And the fact that landline, will still provide better, faster, more consistent access to the net down the road. This will slow down the advancement in wireless internet.

I just think it would be cool to have internet everywhere...lol...maybe if everyone in the world had a router we would be good to go...lol :thumbsup: J/K

[jav_]

it exist alrdy...its called 3G...we're just way behind technology compared to other countries

[Doozer]

I can't be the only one here who realizes that you can already get the internet over the cellphone. Most cellphones plug into a laptop, and you use the cellphone as the modem, so although it's slower (now about 56K), you can get internet anywhere you can get cell phone signal. My company uses this all the time to transmit our clients' oil & gas well data from the field back to our servers in Calgary. If you can get a cellphone signal, you can get the internet, and it's not even that tough. You'd be amazed how many places still can't get a decent cell signal though.

Now if you're talking broadband wireless for everyone, well good luck with that. I'd say the 8-10 estimate above is pretty conservative, and it'll probably be even longer. That might be accurate for major centers, but it'll be FAR longer for rural areas.

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by natejj
Internet on cellphones dont use wireless networks like computers do.

So if my cellphone have wifi function and a browser?, I can't access the internet as if I am using a computer?

[HPR]

IIRC, most of Asia is already there. I could be wrong, but when I was in Manila and Hong Kong 2 months ago my cousin was able to go on the internet almost everywhere he went.

[natejj]

Originally posted by HiSpec


So if my cellphone have wifi function and a browser?, I can't access the internet as if I am using a computer?


What I mean is, if you are out in the highway, you can surf web on phone. You cant surf on PC though. Unless you hook PC to phone....

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by HPR
IIRC, most of Asia is already there. I could be wrong, but when I was in Manila and Hong Kong 2 months ago my cousin was able to go on the internet almost everywhere he went.

Those countries like Europe has very high urban density to make investing in 3G worthwhile.

Wireless data still has a long way to go. Fido's old unlimited data plan was a start but Rogers bought them out so that plan didn't see the light of days for too long. And since, not a single telecom company has offered unlimited data, not Telus, Rogers or Bell.

[HiSpec]

I've heard rumor Rogers is bring out 3.5G this coming winter/xmas.

[98type_r]

Rogers' 3g was launched in the Greater Toronto Area last year and is being rolled out nationally later this year (Nov/Dec).

[Xtrema]

Pointless if they still charged by KB.