Most small businesses are
getting high-speed Internet access through digital subscriber lines (DSL) or
cable modems. But new wireless technologies are giving businesses even more
choices for broadband Internet access.The good news
for small businesses is that wireless Internet access is competitively
priced. Some analysts predict that prices will continue to drop until
wireless Internet access becomes even cheaper than DSL and cable. In
addition, some providers of wireless access are so eager to develop a market
that they're offering free equipment and discounted services.
Wireless Internet access comes in two types: fixed
wireless and satellite. This overview will help you determine which one is
right for you.
Fixed Wireless: Cheaper, Faster Access
Fixed wireless service, sometimes called terrestrial service, doesn't
require the installation or maintenance of physical lines. One type, local
multipoint distribution service, uses high-frequency microwaves similar to
those used in the cellular network, but provides two-way transmissions of
voice, video and data.
Signals are transmitted between a small transceiver on
your rooftop and ground-based stations. The signals must travel over a
straight line; buildings, hills, plants and even rain can interfere with the
signal. But talk about broadband: Fixed wireless service supports
data-transfer rates up to 155Mbps. Right now, however, fixed wireless
service is performing in the T1 range, about 1.5Mbps.
Satellite: Broadband in the Boondocks
If your office is located outside of a major metropolitan area, your best
bet for better-than-modem access might be satellite. A service called
DirecPC offers downstream Internet access via satellites at speeds up to
400Kbps, but you'll still need a phone line and modem to send data.
Two-way communication via satellite is still a couple of
years away. Orbiting only a few hundred miles from the earth's surface,
satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) systems will provide fiber-quality
transmissions.
Go Mobile
To many, wireless is synonymous with mobile, but that wasn't the case with
broadband wireless until recently. Some providers of fixed wireless services
offer an additional mobile transmitter and antenna so you can take your
high-speed Internet access with you.
The PCS and cellular markets have also jumped on the
high-speed bandwagon. Qualcomm has developed a version of its PCS technology
that will let you receive data on your desktop, laptop or handheld device at
speeds up to 2.4Mbps. Currently in the trial phase, this truly mobile
technology is expected to hit the market in late 2001.
