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Definition: Wireless Internet Access Service Provider
WISP is an acronym which stands for Wireless Internet Access Service Provider. These can be Wi-Fi hotspots or an operator with a Wi-Fi based network infrastructure. Often they offer additional services, like location based content, Virtual Private Networking and Voice over IP.
WISP's are predominantly in rural environments where cable and digital subscriber lines are not available. WiMax was expected to become mainstream in 2006 and was anticipated that it would dramatically change the marketplace by increasing the number of interoperable equipment on the market and making mobile data transmission feasible. Unfortunately this has not happened and has hampered the expected increase in adoption rates of WISP services.
Typically, the way that a WISP operates is to pull a large and usually expensive point to point connection to the center of the area they wish to service. From here, they will need to find some sort of elevated point in the region, such as a radio or water tower, on which to mount their equipment. On the consumers side, they will mount a small dish to the roof of their home and point it back to the WISP's dish.
Since it is difficult for a single service provider to build an infrastructure that offers global access to its subscribers, roaming between service providers is encouraged by the Wi-Fi Alliance with the WISPr protocol. WISPr is a set of recommendations approved by the alliance which facilitate inter-network and inter-operator roaming of Wi-Fi users.
Many wireless broadband services provide average download speeds of over 100 Mbit/s, and is estimated to have a range of 50 km (30 miles)[citation needed]. Technologies used include LMDS and MMDS, and one particular access technology is being standardized by IEEE 802.16, also known as WiMAX.
At first, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) were only found in rural areas not covered by cable or DSL. These early WISPs would receive a large connection, such as a T1 or DS3 connection, and then prodcast signal from a high elevation, such as at the top of a water tower. To receive this type of internet, consumers would mount a small dish to the roof of their home or office and point it to the transmitter. Line of sight was usually necessary for this type of technology, but technologies by Motorola have not adhered to this general rule.
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Wireless Internet Access Service Provider Contents
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- Rapid Deployment - Allows networks to be deployed without cabling for client devices, typically reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless Internet access networks.
- Fastest Internet Access in the World - Wi-Fi is the fastest Internet access network in the world. Wi-Fi is currently at 54Mbps now, and soon 802.11n will offer 248Mbps. The access speeds blow away 3G, cable and DSL providers. Only fiber to the curb can really compete with Wi-Fi.
- Massive Availability - Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi) antennas are built into 99% of all modern laptops, getting a laptop without a built in Wi-Fi antenna would be extremely rare.
- Affordable Pricing for the Masses - Wi-Fi chipset pricing continues to come down, making Wi-Fi a very economical networking option and driving inclusion of Wi-Fi in an ever-widening array of devices.
- Interoperability Amoung All Vendors - Wi-Fi products are widely available in the market. Different competitive brands of access points and client network interfaces are interoperable at a basic level of service. Products designated as Wi-Fi Certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance are backwards compatible.
- Worldwide Wi-Fi Standard - Wi-Fi is a global set of standards. Unlike 3G cellular carriers, which are slow and fragmented, the same Wi-Fi Internet access device works in different countries around the world.
- Ubiquitous Coverage - Widely available in more than 250,000 public hot spots and tens of millions of homes and corporate and university campuses worldwide.
- Secure Network Connections - As of 2007, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is not easily cracked if strong passwords are used and WPA2 encryption has no known weaknesses.
- Quality of Service - New protocols for Quality of Service (WMM) and power saving mechanisms (WMM Power Save) make Wi-Fi even more suitable for latency-sensitive applications (such as voice over IP and video on demand) and offered in a very small form-factor.
- Indoor Wi-Fi Access Points - Indoor Wi-Fi Internet access
points are the most ubiquitous form of broadband Internet access in the world. There is not a remote city or third
world country that doesn't have at least one Internet Cafe in town. Wi-Fi Internet access points are easy to install
and very cost effective to deploy. Wi-Fi 802.11g currently provides 54Mbps of bandwidth.
- Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) - In every small town, there
is at least one wireless Internet service provider, also known as a WISP. It might be a very large Turnkey WISP or it might
be a small Neighborhood WISP (NISP). Unlike Wi-Fi, a WISP will install a fixed antenna on a customer's premises, which provides
the equivalent to a wireless T1 or faster connection.
- Municipal Citywide Wi-Fi Mesh Networks - It used to be that only
rural towns in America saw that benefits of building a wireless Internet network in town to generate new economic development.
In the last year, just about every big city in the world has contemplated adding wireless Internet access to their portfolio of economic development
tools to generate jobs and attract corporations to their cities and towns. In addition, wireless Internet access is
also seen as the only cost-effective way to provide broadband Internet connections to underpriviledged citizens. The technology that made this
possible was wireless routers using mesh networking technology. Mesh network technology
made it possible to blanket a city or town with Wi-Fi access points and offer the same type of roaming capabilities that
users have come to expect with wireless cell phones.
- Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) -
EDGE was designed by 3G
carriers to carry wireless data over cell phone connections, which were designed for low bandwidth voice applications.
As a result, the maximum speed is limited to only 236.8 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots)
in packet mode and will therefore meet the International Telecommunications Union's requirement for a 3G network. By Wi-Fi
standards, EDGE is very slow and offers only a marginal connection at best.
- Evolution-Data Optimized for CDMA -
EVDO
was also designed by 3G that operated CDMA networks. The initial version was called EV-DO, Rev. 0,
but quickly upgraded to
EV-DO Rev. A.
Sprint and Verizon Wireless are deploying
EVDO technology in the United States and by Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility in Canada.
EVDO was yet another attempt to develop a faster wireless data transport system that could compete with Wi-Fi.
In addition to the increase in the maximum burst
downlink rate from Rev. 0's 2.45 Mbit/s to 3.1 Mbit/s, Rev. A offered a significant
improvement in the maximum uplink data rate, from 153 kbit/s to a maximum uplink
burst rate of 1.8 Mbit/s. Still slow compared to Wi-Fi, but EVDO can provide acceptable
wireless Internet connections if nothing else is available.
- High-Speed Downlink Packet Accesss for UMTS -
HSDPA
was designed by 3G carriers that operated UMTS networks. High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), sometimes
referred to as High-Speed Downlink Protocol Access, is a 3G mobile telephony protocol in the HSPA family,
which provides a roadmap for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)-based networks to increase
their data transfer speeds and capacity. Current HSDPA deployments now support up to 7.2 Mbps and represents
the fastest 3G wireless Internet access protocol.
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Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) -
WiMAX is a
standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile
wireless broadband access as an alternative to wired broadband like cable and
DSL. WiMAX provides fixed , nomadic, portable and, soon, mobile wireless
broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight with a base
station. In a typical cell radius deployment of three to ten kilometers, WiMAX
Forum Certified™ systems can be expected to deliver capacity of up to 40 Mbps
per channel, for fixed and portable access applications. This is enough bandwidth
to simultaneously support hundreds of businesses
with T-1 speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed
connectivity. Mobile network deployments are expected to provide up to 15 Mbps
of capacity within a typical cell radius deployment of up to three kilometers.
WiMAX technology will be incorporated into the majority of notebook computers
and PDAs by the end of 2007, allowing for urban areas and cities to become "WiMAX Metro Zones"
for portable outdoor broadband wireless Internet access.
Many WISPs, especially in Africa, Asia and CIS use satellite as their main Internet backbones. For example, PEP-iDirect is a perfect platform to start up the WISP business with much lower costs than it would take with standard SCPC systems and terrestrial circuits if the local telecom markets are monopolized. At the same time PEP-iDirect allows to maintain the high quality of backbone service provided which is equal to a dedicated SCPC or even better. The PEP-iDirect system can support up to 1500 subscribers with no equipment upgrades as well as little as 50 subscribers, still staying cost effective for entrepreneurs.
A wireless connection can be either licensed or unlicensed. In the US, licensed connections use a private spectrum the user has secured rights to from the FCC. In other countries, spectrum is licensed from the country's national radio communications authority (such as the ACMA in Australia). Licensing is usually expensive and often reserved for large companies who wish to guarantee private access to spectrum for use in point to point communication. Because of this, most wireless ISP's use unlicensed spectrum which is publicly shared and therefore more prone to interference.
This information provided by the Wikipedia Free WISP Encyclopedia.
Today's News Stories on Wireless Internet Access Products/Services, Wireless Internet Access Network Deployments and Wireless Internet Access Industry Research:
Alltel upgrades Cleveland, Akron and Canton Broadband Wireless Network to EVDO Revision A Technology for High-Speed Internet Access
Alltel Wireless, a US mobile broadband operator, has upgraded its network to provide Evolution Data Optimised Revision A coverage in the Cleveland, Akron and Canton areas of the State of Ohio, US.
Aruba Networks Installs Broadband Wireless LANs for 2,000 Wi-Fi Hotspots Covering Some 350 Hong Kong Government Premises
Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) announced that it is supplying secure wireless equipment to PCCW-HKT Network Services Limited (PCCW) for use at roughly 2,000 new Wi-Fi hot spots serving some 350 Hong Kong Government premises. PCCW, the premier telecommunications provider in Hong Kong and one of Asia's leading players in information and communications technologies, will be the network service provider.
Magal Receives an Order to Install a Broadband Wireless Municipal Command & Control System in an Asian Capital
Magal Security Systems, Ltd. (NASDAQ GMS: MAGS, TASE:MAGS) announced today that it has received an order for the installation of a broadband wireless municipal security command and control system in a capital city in Asia, based on its FORTIS System. The first stage of this order which is expected to be completed by the end of August 2008 is approximately US$ 650,000. Following completion of the initial stage, management expects the project to be expanded, and the total sum of the whole project is expected to reach approximately US$ 3 million.
Vesper Networks Partners With Napera Networks to Bring the Power of Broadband Wireless Network Access Control to Small and Medium Enterprises
Information security solutions provider Vesper Networks announced today it is partnering with Napera Networks, a new network security company focused on network access control solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. A Napera premier partner, Vesper is adding the Napera network access control solution to its strong portfolio of security products and services, which span encryption, identity federation, endpoint security, and wireless security, among other areas.
City District Government Karachi in Pakistan Deploys Airspan's 4.9 GHz WiMAX Solution for Video Surveillance
Airspan Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRN), a leading provider of WiMAX broadband wireless access networks, announced today that City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in Pakistan has successfully deployed Airspan's 4.9 GHz WiMAX solutions for its IP Closed Circuit Television Video surveillance project in Karachi. CDGK is committed to video surveillance of all major city roads. Airspan is partnering with GCS (PVT) Ltd., a U.S. based telecommunications integrator that provides wireless video solutions in Pakistan.
Ericsson, 3 Italia Upgrade Broadband Wireless Network with HSPA Technology for High-Speed 3G Wireless Internet Access
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC ) and 3 Italia have achieved an industry first: the successful establishment of enhanced HSPA mobile-data connections in a commercial network. The enhanced HSPA technology enables maximum uplink data rates of 5.8Mbps and a significant reduction in network latency, resulting in markedly better performance for interactive consumer applications.
Jordanian Broadband Wireless Network Operator wi-tribe Expands Network With Airspan's WiMAX Solution to Deliver High-Speed Internet Access Services
Airspan Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRN), a leading provider of WiMAX broadband wireless access networks, announced that wi-tribe limited Jordan has contracted for additional WiMAX equipment to expand their high-speed Internet access network across the country.
Rapid Link Completes Acquisitions of Two Broadband Wireless ISPs in Texas
Rapid Link, Incorporated (OTCBB: RPID) announced that it has acquired the assets of iBroadband Networks, Inc. and iBroadband of Texas. The asset purchase of the customer bases and operating networks of iBroadband Networks and iBroadband of Texas will add over 3000 active customers and a fully deployed wireless network to the growing Rapid Link portfolio of operations.
Drexel University Selects to Aruba Networks' Adaptive 802.11n Broadband Wireless Network Equipment to Provide High-Speed Internet Access Services
Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) announced that Drexel University has selected and commenced the deployment of Aruba's adaptive 802.11n wireless LAN and secure mobility solution at its Philadelphia campus. Drexel is replacing its second-generation wireless LAN to gain the improvements in speed and range brought by 802.11n. After a comprehensive technical evaluation, including real-world testing in residence halls, Aruba was awarded the project based on its ability to provide airtime fairness, active interference avoidance, and client load-balancing based on its Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) technology.
Next Generation Municipal Wi-Fi/WiMAX Service Alive and Well in Lompoc, California
The municipal Wi-Fi network in the City of Lompoc, California is achieving commercial success with a growing number of subscribers, using technology from Aptilo Networks, the global leader in integrated solutions for Service Management and Access Control for wireless networks including WiMAX , wireless mesh and Wi-Fi hotspots. Announced today, the City has replaced their existing service management system with the Aptilo Service Management Platform, which enables and manages Wi-Fi access and provides service control.
World's First Wireless IP-Telephony Service Launches in Japan
JAJAH announced that, together with EMOBILE , it has launched an IP-only mobile device -- the EM·ONE -- that is set to be the standard around the world. With the EM·ONE device, users in Japan can now make and receive voice-over-mobile-broadband calls via its JAJAH Mobile software client without a traditional mobile phone connection.
Stephouse Networks Competes for Wi-Fi and WiMAX Service in the City of Portland, Oregon
Proxim Wireless Corporation (NASDAQ: PRXM), a leading provider of end-to-end broadband wireless systems that deliver the quadruple play, announced that Stephouse Networks, a Portland, OR based ISP, has deployed Proxim equipment to provide the city of Portland with high-speed wireless broadband connectivity. Stephouse has deployed a combination of Proxim's Tsunami MP.11 WiMAX and Proxim's ORiNOCO AP-4000LR Wi-Fi mesh technology to blanket seven square miles of Portland with wireless broadband coverage.
free-hotspot.com Spreads Its Wings to Offer Free Wi-Fi Service to Airports
free-hotspot.com, a free Wi-Fi Internet service provider, announced that it has successfully installed its service in two Brittany airports, Quimper Cornouaille and Lannion - Cote de Granit. These installations reflect a commitment by free-hotspot.com to provide its FREE Wi-Fi service in regional as well as international airports. The company plans further airport installations in the UK and the rest of Europe in the near future.
CECT-Chinacomm Communications Ltd. Launches Broadband Wireless Internet Access Network in Beijing
ChinaTel Group, Inc. (OTCBB: CHTL) announced that it has completed the installation of the first phase of a wireless Internet access network in Beijing. The wireless network is live and provides Internet access services across approximately 100 square kilometers of metropolitan Beijing, including the 2nd Ring, 3rd Ring, CBD Commercial Zone, Financial District, Zhong-Guan Village, Wangjing Economy-Technology Development Zone, Xuanwuchun Village and Yizhuang.
DragonWave's Broadband Wireless Backhaul Solutions to Power Sprint's XOHM WiMAX Internet Access Network
DragonWave Inc. (TSX:DWI)(AIM:DWI), a leading global supplier of next-generation broadband wireless networks, announced that Sprint (NYSE:S) has selected DragonWave's IP backhaul solutions for its XOHM-branded WiMAX mobile-broadband services in North America. DragonWave's Horizon Compact and Horizon Duo products will be deployed initially in the Baltimore/Washington and Chicago markets.
WildBlue Upgrades Its Satellite Internet Network, Increasing Capacity By Over 31 Percent
WildBlue Communications, Inc., the leading provider of broadband wireless satellite service throughout rural America, announced the completion of a series of hardware and software system upgrades that have increased its total network capacity by more than 150,000 additional customers since the beginning of 2008. The upgrades bring WildBlue's total network capacity to over 640,000 customers, with capacity available throughout the entire country.
Cresskill, N.J., High School Deploys Broadband Wireless Internet Access for 800 Students
Cresskill (N.J.) Junior and Senior High School has installed a wireless LAN from Meru Networks to provide its more than 800 students and faculty with mobile wireless access to the Internet and online educational materials.
BelAir Networks Provides Tessco Customers with Market-Leading Wireless Mesh Products
BelAir Networks, the market leader in broadband wireless mesh networks, has signed a distribution agreement with TESSCO Technologies, the leading provider of the product and supply chain solutions needed to build, operate and use wireless networks and systems. The distribution agreement provides easy access to BelAir Networks best of breed wireless mesh products for TESSCO's wireless system operators, program managers, contractors, resellers, and self-maintained utility, transportation, enterprise and government organizations.
Sandals Resorts Deploy Smart Mesh Networks to Deliver High-Speed Internet Access in 20 Caribbean Resorts
Ruckus Wireless announced that it has been selected by Sandals Resorts International to supply all of its Caribbean properties including Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts and The Royal Plantation Collection with an all-802.11n, indoor/outdoor Wireless LAN infrastructure based on its award-winning Smart Mesh Networking technology.
AT&T Rolls Out 3G Wireless Broadband Network in Lancaster County
Watch video on the go. Surf the wireless Internet at DSL-like speeds. Share live video during a cell phone call. AT&T (NYSE: T) announced these services are now available on the third-generation (3G) mobile broadband network in Lancaster County -- including the iPhone 3G being launched on July 11.
KVH Begins Rollout of Global Ku-band mini-VSAT Broadband Satellite Communications Network
In a move to offer faster, more affordable broadband connections to a growing market of leisure, commercial, and government vessels worldwide, KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI ) announced a new agreement with ViaSat, Inc., (Nasdaq: VSAT ) to begin the global rollout of the popular mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications service. Together with the compact 24-inch KVH TracPhone V7 antenna, the mini-VSAT Broadband service is already offering regional Voice over IP telephone service and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates to mariners throughout North America, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, and Europe.
On-Communications Chooses Airspan's WiMAX Broadband Wireless Internet Solutions
Airspan Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRN), a leading provider of WiMAX-based broadband wireless access networks, announced that On-Communications, the UK's Enterprise Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) market leader, has chosen Airspan as its preferred technology partner to supply WiMAX solutions as it rapidly extends its UK network rollout.
OmniGlobe Networks Provides High-Speed Internet Access Services to the Rural Communities in Kingston, Ontario
OmniGlobe Networks, Inc, the telecommunications company that provides cost-effective broadband wireless Internet access, satellite and cellular services to remote communities around the globe, announced the signing of an agreement with the City of Kingston to enhance the telecommunications infrastructure in the unserved areas of the region.
Stark County Library and Akron-Canton Airport Partner for CAK Free Web Access
If you have some extra time before your next flight out of Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), be sure to try out CAK Free Web Access and check your e-mail or surf the web through a new service made possible by a partnership with the Stark County District Library.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Upgrades to Aruba Networks for Reliable, Interference-Free Broadband Wireless Internet Access
Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) announced that the University of Tennessee has selected and is deploying Aruba's adaptive wireless LAN and secure mobility solution at its Chattanooga campus. Originally founded in 1886 as Chattanooga University, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) today serves 9,000 students on a 101-acre metropolitan campus.
More Than 100 Baltimore Public Schools Turn to Meru for Broadband Wireless Internet Access Service
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) has deployed a wireless LAN (WLAN) from Meru Networks to support video learning, Internet access and other applications for nearly 105,000 students as well as faculty and staff in 171 schools with more than 15 million square feet of total space.
Verizon Wireless Expands EVDO Broadband Wireless 3G Network to Cover 76,000 Square Miles in Northern Californian
Verizon Wireless has widened its 3G "fast lane" along California's Central Coast. The company's high-speed wireless broadband network now delivers mile after mile of high-speed performance for customers surfing the Internet, e-mailing large files, and downloading songs or videos over-the-air using 3G-capable phones and PC cards.
Multi-Links Selects Nortel to Expand Mobile Broadband Wireless Internet Services in Nigeria
Multi-Links Telecommunications Ltd., one of Nigeria's leading service providers, has entered into a three-year frame contract with Nortel (NYSE/TSX: NT) to expand and upgrade its broadband wireless Internet access network.
Aruba Networks and Omni Data Secure Clinton Public School System With Wireless IP Video Surveillance Solution
Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), a global leader in wireless LANs and secure unified mobility solutions, announced that the Clinton Public School System in Connecticut has selected Aruba's wireless LAN technology for use in wireless video surveillance systems at the district's four elementary, intermediate, and high schools. Aruba partner OMNI Data LLC will be providing integration services.
Afghan Wireless Provides High-Speed Wireless Internet Access to 2 Million Customers via EDGE/GPRS Technology
Afghan Wireless Communications Company (AWCC), headquartered in Kabul, provides broadband wireless Internet connectivity covering over 2500 Km in all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. The services include digital call quality with no satellite delays, conference calling, per second billing, superb connectivity on the highways and over the difficult terrain of the country. AWCC is a leader in delivering wireless and broadband communication solutions to residential and business customers.
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