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This was in USA today. MUNI WiFi starts to struggle.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-09-19-wifi_N.htm?csp=34

Yes very interesting: here's my rambling thoughts: (somebody shoot me X-D)

I think the much needed shot in the arm and or ancedote for this recession of muniwireless deployments is to begin to use the High Transmit PHY of 802.11n (WiFi/with MiMO) in combination with both flavors of WiMAX for fixed and mobile users. Yes, we are in Draft 2.0 stages but getting equipment to do what Cisco has done with the 1250's modular approach is a smarter way to approach the long,drawn out standarization validations of the IEEE.

The 3G/4G carriers have the market share for the WMAN and the WWAN and offering too many free Wi-Fi hotspots definitely cuts into their job security and revenue stream. They will fight tooth and nail to validate the limitations of Wi-Fi only networks. All mesh vendors still have a play in the field of muni-wireless, they just have to "milk the cow" with a hybrid wireless approach, outdoors especially.

With the push of 802.16e WiMAX at Sprint, the 2.5 GHz Xohm network may be the way metro cities want to move in combination with the Wi-Fi. Both Clearwire and Sprint are building out a network that will allow users to roam with greater distances. A plus for Sprint, they have an EVDO network that shares the same technology that Verizon Wireless in the 1900 MHz world, so if the WiMAX network goes down switch to the EVDO network.

I think the biggest push back for cities is they are starting to understand the limitations of certain Wi-Fi only applications. These converged (Wi-Fi/Cell) handsets using the Unlicensed Mobile Access(UMA) like the GSM World of T-Mobile and AT&T are rising in popularity or soon will.

There are recent releases like the Blackberry 8820 and the Nokia 6301 that offer the UMA of the T-Mobile "Only Phone You Need" making it very hard on VoWiFi only vendors.

Users want session persistence when traveling with their devices and dropping a connection is not an option. I am no prophet, but I see Sprint/Clearwire/and Google producing a smart device that does some of the SDR of EVDO/WIMAX and Wi-Fi with UMA and IMS capabilites. Apple's iPhone brought out the wireless innovators and will too share in this revolution of the Next Generation Network. too bad they didn't first market the iPhone with the UMA capabilities.

The Next Gen Network is nomadic and mobile and very much needs professionals to help customers and enterprises make sound decisions on how to administer, secure and analyze/troubleshoot them.

We as Wireless LAN professionals might not ever work at/for a major carrier (3G/4G), but I am sure they will see the benefit of having the CWNP certifications! ;-)

I'll stop rambling now (!)

http://english.sina.com/technology/1/2007/0922/126162.html

History is bound to repeat itself. Never say Never.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072809-free-wifi.html?hpg1=bn

X-D