Back when ‘Wi’ began, it was all about Wi-Fi, a technology that enabled the World to connect to the internet without the hassle of wires. But beyond this, it provided nothing new, distance from the router was limited to several metres and mobility from one Wi-Fi zone into another was never going to be seamless. Because of these factors, the 3G operators of the World slept well in their beds, Wi-Fi kept the people happy, but was no threat to established mobile network data revenues. The recent development of WiMAX and WiBro however, has the wireless world shaking in their boots. It combines Wi-Fi ease of use with the benefits of 3G and that is really stepping on some toes. The race for the future of wireless has now truly begun, but does it really matter who wins? Consumers will always see fixed-line as the infrastructure behind the web and any wireless solutions as a useful added extra. So having spent so much time and money on developing 21st Century Networks, why wireless?
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