UC
The FCC ‘s unanimous vote last week to free up so-called “White Space” for unlicensed use creates a potential huge step forward for high speed wireless services. Service providers, hardware vendors, and content providers are already looking to the possibility of leveraging this new allocation to create faster WiFi services, especially in densely populated areas.
Wireless LAN (WLAN) deployments are virtually ubiquitous, with 96% of organizations reporting having deployed WLAN technology, and an average of 60% of users with WLAN access. Intriguingly, about 11% of users use WLAN-only links– a percentage that’s higher in companies with aggressive-to-bleeding edge IT cultures, and in companies with global operations. And nearly a third of companies (32%) expect to increase the number of users that are WLAN-only in 2011.
The success of wireless LAN deployments is a bit mixed; a critical success factor is having a well-thought-out mobility strategy. Organizations should also think through the future implications of carrier services such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and femtocell technology (which delivers carrier-managed indoor services).
Those responsible for wireless strategy should assume your applications will be delivered across a WLAN infrastructure—make sure you’ve got a solid mobility strategy, and you’ve tested your applications for effective delivery across wireless. Meanwhile, plan to exploit the greater range and speeds that white space-based solutions will soon offer.
