Tom:
This is a lot more complicated for the wireless carriers than it seems
at first. It is true that WiFi/Cellular dual mode phones can improve
indoor coverage, but it is less clear that the cellular carriers this
this is a good idea. With a dual mode phone, it is very easy to set the
phone to use 2 different carriers - 1 VoIP, 1 Cellular. The phone can
"pick" the VoIP carrier if it has a WiFi signal. This call would be
carried at very low cost to the person talking (considering prices from
BroadVoice, Vonage or the other "flat rate" operators, not to mention
Stanaphone, SIPgate, or Free World Dial Up or your own VoIP PBX that
have no fee per month). The phone would only call over cellular when
out of range of an AP. This would have the impact of pulling peak
minutes off the cellular network - which is where the cellular carriers
make their money.
There are, of course, alternate approaches with go through the cellular
carrier's switch and bill at cellular rates, even if you "bring your
own" (WiFi) cell. These are mostly being pushed in Europe where
cellular runs on a "calling party pays" basis, so the cellular carrier
gets paid for terminating the call - even if they don't need to use
their cells to reach the subscriber.
Note that this whole topic also relates in a major way to the "guest
access" topic. For a WiFi phone, the time it takes to get past most
authentication approaches is pretty significant. IF you want to enable
this, you can set up a network to allow "guest" access as an open
network on a different SSID from the standard WiFi network. Anything
linking to that SSID would be outside the fire wall and would need VPN
to get back in if desired (a VoIP device would probably not want to get
back in). We have seen this set up in many places where visitors want
access to "their own" network and not to anything local.
DISCLAIMER: We are an equipment manufacturer, not a university
Howie Frisch
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
+1-732-767-6135
Zeller, Tom S wrote:
I'd be interested in comments on the following scenario.
I've heard it said that cellular carriers make money selling per-byte
data services and therefore have no incentive to support and subsidize
combo cell/WiFi devices.
What if they are eventually forced into a flat-rate data scheme. This
may never happen due to lack of competition. But say the third carrier
needs a leg up and goes flat-rate and the others follow.
Doesn't that change the equation significantly? Wouldn't they then LOVE
to have their customer's data flowing over our campus data networks
instead of their more limited capacity wireless network?
And, assuming appropriate technology, wouldn't they LOVE to have their
customer's cell voice call move to VOIP over our campus data network?
If the VOIP goes back to the carrier it seems like they would be in a
position to effect a handoff.
I guess they wouldn't have end-to-end control and couldn't guarantee
quality.
If this were to come about, wouldn't this solve the problem of poor cell
coverage in buildings without us having to do anything different than we
are now doing by providing WiFi coverage?
Am I dreaming here?
And a follow-up question. In discussing this with other university
types I've repeatedly received the response of "we'd have to charge the
carriers. It would be a revenue stream." That strikes me as
unrealistic. The carriers can' negotiate 50,000 contracts with every
possible hotspot provider.
And besides, it seems to me that this scenario is to our advantage even
without a revenue stream. I'm not sure we should WANT to be in the
wireless VOIP business if there's a viable alternative that costs us
zero.
Tom Zeller
Indiana University
812-855-6214
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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