Thumbs Down for 3G

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I do not know about you, but the introduction of 3G services across the country has left many people feeling distinctly underwhelmed. Far from living up to its hype of extraordinary performance, the only interesting thing about 3G so far has been some really good advertising.

One major problem with 3G is the absence of roaming. Recently, a colleague, who travelled from Bangalore to Delhi, found himself without any data roaming at all, despite having subscribed to the 3G service of a leading national player which operates in both Karnataka and Delhi. And that is just the beginning of 3G users’ woes. Videocalling, at least right now, works only if both parties have 3G services and the same operator.

download speeds are nowhere near as good as operators had promised and reception is patchy to say the least. This, despite the operators using the best available technologies. For 3g operators, YouTube is the second-dirtiest word imaginable after ‘Bittorrent’, since these two services gorge on bandwidth, while they scramble for the crumbs.

So what is the solution? Blocking access to YouTube is clearly not one. Well, there are often old-fashioned solutions for new technology problems; in this case, they lie in Wi-Fi. Network congestion, thanks to increased data usage — and despite cramming more and more data into a single megahertz of radio frequency — is a global phenomenon. Mobile networks are inherently limited by the fact that they cover large areas and large numbers of subscribers. The problem is exacerbated in crowded urban areas where con- gestion is so bad that chances of getting even a voice call through at peak office hours is difficult.

Wi-Fi solves the problem by providing a way for operators to offload their network in congested areas by dovetailing this wireless solution with high capacity media. These areas usually have telephone cables that can carry digital subscriber line signals. Better still, many urban areas have fibre-optic cables with very high bandwidth. Thanks to improvements in technology and Wi-Fi’s limited range — 30 metres for most routers, up to 100 metres on some commercial grade routers— it can carry 150 megabits per second, which is six times faster than typical3G networks. And since more phones and handheld devices have Wi-Fi receivers than 3G receivers, Wi-Fi actually has an advantage in terms of reach.

Sure, there are disadvantages too. The most commonly stated one is security — not only can unsecured Wi-Fi connections be used by terrorists, but the low-grade wireless equivalent protection protocol can also be easily hacked for illegal access and stealing data. Users should use the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 security on their routers as well as ‘https’ security while accessing e-mail, social networks or conducting online financial transactions.

Wi-Fi also has a short range which did not make it a commercialgrade system for a long time, as service providers found it difficult to wire up offices or residential buildings with multiple routers. But that has changed over the years. A small California start-up called Ruckus Wireless has done some innovative work in setting up “building Wi-Fi” with minimal number of routers. That said, interference between multiple routers as well as with older cordless telephones remains a problem.

As several operators have realised, Wi-Fi works well in offering subscribers a decent wireless broadband experience. And because Wi-Fi spectrum in 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz requires no licence, there is no problem of auctions or scarce spectrum. Tikona Broadband pioneered it and Aircel has also launched Wi-Fi services in certain cities across the country. Airtel is about to enter the business as well. The future might not be 3G or broadband wireless, but may lie in Wi-Fi.