3G versus WiFi

This article compares and contrasts two technologies for delivering broadband wireless Internet access services:‘‘3G ’’vs.‘‘ WiFi’’.

The 3G refers to the collection of third-generation mobile technologies that are designed to allow mobile operators to offer integrated data and voice services over mobile networks.

The WiFi, refers to the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard that was designed to support wireless LANs.

The goal of this article is to compare and contrast two technologies that are likely to play important roles: third-generation mobile (3G) and wireless local area networks (WLAN).

Specifically, we will focus on 3G as embodied by the IMT-2000 family of standards

The WLAN technology embodied by the WiFi or 802.11b standard, which is the most popular and widely deployed of the WLAN technologies.

How are WIFI and 3G same?

Both are wireless

Avoids the need to install cable drops to each device when compared to wire line alternatives

Avoiding the need to install or reconfigure wired local distribution plant

Cost saving

Facilitates mobility

The ability to move devices around without having to move cables and furniture and

The ability to stay continuously connected over wider serving areas

Both are access technologies

For 3G, the wireless link is from the end- user device to the cell base station which may be at a distance of up to a few kilometers, and then dedicated wire line facilities to interconnect base stations to the carrier’s backbone network and ultimately to the Internet cloud.

For WiFi, the wireless link is a hundred meters from the end-user device to the base station. The base station is then connected either into the wire line LAN or enterprise network infrastructure or to a wire line access line to a carrier’s backbone network and then eventually to the Internet.

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Both offer broadband data service

Both 3G and WiFi support broadband data service, although as noted earlier, the data rate offered by WiFi (11 Mbps) is substantially higher than the couple of 100 kbps expected from 3G services.

Both services will also support ‘‘always on’’ connectivity which is another very important aspect of broadband service.

How are WIFI and 3G different?

Current business models/deployment is different

3G offers a vertically integrated, top-down,service-provider approach to delivering wireless Internet access

WIFI offers (at least potentially) an end-user-centric, decentralized approach to service provisioning

Spectrum policy and management cost of service

3G upfront cost of acquiring a spectrum license represents a substantial share of the capital costs of deploying 3G services.

WIFI This cost is not faced by WiFi which uses the shared 2.4 GHz unlicensed, shared spectrum.

Quality Of Service (QoS) and congestion management

3G Licensed spectrum is expensive, it does have the advantage of facilitating QoS management. With licensed spectrum, the licensee is protected from interference from other service providers.

The congestion management strategy

WIFI WiFi network can address the problem of congestion associated with users on the same WiFi network, it cannot control potential interference from other WiFi service providers or other RF sources that are sharing the unlicensed spectrum (both of which will appear as elevated background noise).

Industry structure

3G The Free Net movement is not easily conceivable in the 3G world of licensed spectrum.

WIFI Free Net movement is easily conceivable in the 3G world of unlicensed spectrum.

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