The problem with wireless broadband

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Dan Warne13 July 2006, 11:33 AM

Wireless broadband has an image problem that no publicist can help turn around: people who pay for it expect it to work well. A lot of the time, it doesn't. Slow throughput, coverage blackspots and dropouts are all part of the service.

APCMag.com reader Don Gould posted a comment in response to my report that Vodafone is about to release a 1.8Mbit/s USB 3G modem.

Don wrote: "Dan, does it work properly though? I recently looked at Vodafone's New Zealand 3G and was less than impressed. The guy couldn't even get it to connect properly and when he did it wasn't much faster than dial up."

The truth is wireless broadband has an image problem that no publicist can help with: people expect it to work well most of the time.

In my experience, it doesn't.

That's not to say wireless broadband isn't a terrific development in the evolution of the internet. I'd hate to do without it. It's just that people expect more of it than it can really deliver. Blame the marketers for not being upfront about saying, "look, we'll do our best, but..."

The long latency (the time between when a packet is sent and when its acknowledgement is received from the other end) in mobile network packet data communication means that data transfer is a lot more stop-start than on an ADSL connection with low latency.

Secondly, like mobile networks, there are lots of blackspots in high-speed coverage where you'll drop back to GPRS (which is sub-dialup speed).

Mobile internet is great for is getting access to the net when it would be really, really hard to do so otherwise. For example, checking your email via mobile GMail (m.gmail.com) on a mobile handset with the Opera Mini web browser, or checking a supplier's website for stock availability when you're on the go.

But don't look to wireless broadband for an internet connection you can rely on wherever you are. You'll be able to get high speed coverage in CBD areas and concentration points like airports but you may still have to walk a city block (or the equivalent) to find high speed coverage.

That's why I think Telstra's Sol Trujillo is bluffing when he says he expects to deliver broadband services to fixed location consumers via HSDPA if the government doesn't meet all of Telstra's demands to be given exemption from competition regulations so it can build its fibre-to-the-node network with guaranteed profits.

Will the upcoming WiMax wide area wireless broadband standard fix the problem and deliver wireless broadband that will meet everyone's expectations? I'm certain it won't. Will it make life easier for a lot of people? I'm certain it will. The key is realising that as a radio-based service, wireless broadband will never be as good as wired broadband.

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Don:

Dan you hit it right on the mark!

Your comments on wimax are very interesting.

I followed with interest the progress of the IPWireless technology that came out a number of years back.

New Zealand is leading the world in this technology, not that it's much of a leader from my experience.

Our household gave up on the technology when we couldn't get 1mbit to run over a link that was less than 200 meters with a 5db antenna on the top of a very tall poll pointing right at the antenna array.

We do understand why it failed thou. The provider was cutting corners on the technology. They were using one transmitter into an array of 3 antenna to cover the area in our node. The result is a resounding failure.

My point is that we are quick to judge the technology without considering the implementation.

My original question should have been, 'Does it (3G) work in Australia?'.

We know 3G works, but have Vodafone deployed it properly. In our case here in New Zealand they haven't, it didn't work properly in a retail store in the biggest mall in New Zealand - a very poor showing.

Cheers Don

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Anthony Caruana:

Hi Dan

I've been a Three NetConnect for a few months now and other than when I've been away from urban areas, I've had good coverage in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. The only time I've dropped back to GPRS (the card "tells" you as the LED flashes green instead of blue) has been when I've been in rural areas.

Interestingly, when I tried the Voda and Optus cards I couldn't get a decent connection - even when the Three card worked at exactly the same location.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Leo:

Actually the biggest killer is the price : performance ratio. The only wireless I know of that actually works is Iburst, I have used it for 6 months now. It used to be almost reasonably priced. In the last few months the price has skyrocketed and download limits dropped dramatically. Interestingly iBurst does not seem to be increasing coverage either making it a niche product - Melbourne and Sydney only AFAIK.

The 3g based offerings are all very pricey. Unwired is cheaper but slow and not so reliable. Coverage is even less than Iburst.

Actually Telstras 3g service is not too bad but not very fast - although I do wish they offered plans with higher download limits. Coverage is good in that even if 3g is unavailable it drops back to 2g speeds - better than no connection e.g Iburst, Unwired...

There is a BIG unmet market for people wanting wireless as an alternative to fixed - in my case as in suburban Melbourne I'm in one of the many broadband blackspots, no cable or ADSL. Others want the performance but need a mobile solution for all sorts of reasons.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Pit:

Well, I am surprised at the level of misunderstanding on wireless. We are in remote WA and have got wireless broadband under motorola canopy gear and it has proved MUCH better than sat or in our city offices adsl mark one and isdn We can not fault the supplier www.broadband.net.au Is en * exceptional* service and means of getting fast connections in our part of the world

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Dan Warne:

Pit - fixed-location wireless broadband can be very good if an area is not congested, adequate towers and bandwidth are available, and the technology chosen is the right one (Canopy is a WiMax-like solution so it's free from the inherent delays in a mobile network.)

The same goes for point-to-point microwave links, which are about the closest thing to "wireless wires".

But in general, people see wireless broadband as a mobility solution: they expect to be able to get a reliable connection wherever they are, and that is often not the case.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Felicia:

LightSpeed Broadband is a company here in Bremerton Wa. I have been with them for about a year and have never had a problem. Consistant speed 5.9 megs and reliable. When I first signed up they asured me If I use the tested equipment provided by them I would never be seeing them again, beause the system would just works. The antenna for my laptop is a bit cumbersome and wireless router was expensive. But over all my experience with wireless is a good one.

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Steve:

We have around 30 'novatel UMTS' wireless modems using the Vodafone 3G network and we have no end of problems, Eg. dropouts or loss of conection very frequently, for example I have had to disconnect then re-connect to the network at least 7 times in the past hour just to enable me to continue browsing the internet to find information about this poor perfromance. I am based about 7km from Melb CBD (warning, dont use Vodafone wireless)

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Leo:

The wireless available to country users is different to what the original article is talking about. It is also heavily subsidised by the government...

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Dennis:

I've had vodafone 3g wireless broadband for about 8 months now and have had alot of trouble with it. It frequently stops working and often speeds are in the dial up range. 13kbs to 72kbs. Occassionally it freaks out and runs upto 600kbs but this doesent happen often and only at 4am in the morning. The mobility is great but the down time is too much!!! Vodafone customer service is just as hopeless as their service. The only way I can get to them is to not pay my bill ($99/mth) ignoring their sms' untill they call me and then I let go on the bastards. I'll probably quit the service soon. Dennis (miuroc@hotmail.com)

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Ozzie:

$99/month for crap? (I think you must earn too much lol) Dial-up is more like 4-6Kb/s; and its a hit and miss linking to a "hotspot", sometimes it will work at 100mm and not at 300mm or visa vis or you might get several metres or not, and then you might get no signal on 1 brand, but get a great signal on another...

"it is also heavily subsidised by the government…(Leo)"

The question of subsidisation:

a). Telstra can "reduce"/get rid of the costs of copper-wire maintainece and expandtion...

b). 3rd party service providers can by-pass telstra(and hence not pay part of the tax component?)of course they will push wire-less greater profits...

There-fore its sort of in the governments "best" interests to subsidise wire-less, but probably not in our best interest.

The biggest issue for me, is trying to secure wireless(very considerable risks)you have to goto considerable lengths to lock it down, its not worth the time and costs involved, if you leave it on defaults it quiet easy to connect to the next door neibour and use he's connection, and the whole local wire-less network is "transparent" and "open".

29 February 2008, 8:28 PM (10 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend