Whether you’re talking about business or consumer communications applications, hardware, and services, the one element that is relevant ­to both today is mobility. Whether accessing services via WiFi, cellular, or WiMAX, wireless solutions are quickly becoming the norm. If that’s not already apparent, take a look at some of the many wireless technology stories from TMCnet this past week:

 

It sometimes seems that TMC (News - Alert) president Rich Tehrani is in the air as much as he is on the ground, which presents a challenge as he tries to keep up with everything going on at the office and at home. In fact, as Rich writes, the loss of connectivity “is one of the biggest challenges for passengers like me, who depend on constant broadband access.” Fortunately for Rich and countless others, in-flight broadband is becoming more common, and Rich reported that, for commuters in the Northeast Corridor, Delta Airlines is going to be offering WiFi access on flights between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. “Personally I am looking forward to all flights being WiFi-enabled, especially those flights to Asia,” writes Rich.

 

One of the benefits of having constant connectivity is that Rich is able to keep up to date with the latest happenings, including the news that Nokia, world's largest mobile phone company, is pulling out of WiMAX. The big question now, as Rich notes, is what does this mean to the WiMAX community? “Nokia is smart enough to continue investing in a market if it sees the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Did the economy coupled with LTE kill this pot of gold?” As Rich writes, “This statement by Nokia is worth a trillion dollars of investment in frequencies and equipment. This really changes everything.” Read Rich’s full commentary here.

 

Speaking of Nokia’s WiMAX struggles, Michelle Robart reports here on the company’s decision. It is unclear if Nokia is preparing to launch other WiMAX devices, but Nokia says it will continue to follow the market. IDC Analyst Godfrey Chua believes that the N810 WiMAX Edition was probably introduced too early.  ABI Research suggests the decision could be a sign of a significant shift away from WiMAX at Nokia, said Nadine Manjaro, an analyst at ABI Research.  “They struggled with the network, so maybe they decided because of the downturn to change their strategy,” Manjaro said, referring to Nokia Siemens Networks’ inability to secure a contract to build the Xohm network in Dallas.

 

While Nokia is apparently getting out of the WiMAX business, competitor Motorola announced the launch of its wi4 WiMAX CPEi 775, an all-in-one access device that enables an array of broadband capabilities. According to Motorola, the new product, which connects WiFi devices to WiMAX networks, shows the company’s ability to meet the growing demand from multimedia-dependent users.  “As mobile WiMAX networks proliferate globally service providers are looking for ways to leverage the speed and performance of WiMAX for more advanced services,” said Charles Riggle, senior director of strategy and business development, WiMAX devices, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility.

 

And as for WiMAX-based services, get ready for spin-meisters to go quite active over the next several weeks on prospects for U.S. WiMAX, suggests Gary Kim, following news that investors have written off significant portions of their investments in Clearwire.  Intel (News - Alert) has written off $950 million of its $1.6 billion investment; Time Warner is booking a $350 million charge; and Comcast likewise will take an asset-impairment charge on its stake in Clearwire, though it has not made its amount public.

 

Despite the questions, rumors, and write-offs, Galitzine appropriately notes that, despite growing concerns, Clearwire did, in fact “light up a new city this week in Portland, Oregon, and has plans to start service in nine other cities in 2009.” Zippy Grigonis also reported that Smith Micro Software, Inc. has been selected by Clearwire to deliver connection management software for its Mobile WiMAX customers. In conjunction with this widely-deployed 4G wireless service, Smith Micro has customized the connection manager specifically to Clearwire’s Mobile WiMAX requirements, collaborating with Clearwire to deliver a next-generation connectivity solution for businesses and consumers.

 

Still, amid the many rumors surrounding WiMAX, it’s only natural to wonder how it all impacts LTE. TMC Group Editorial Director Greg Galitzine reports that ABI Research has released a new study that points to continued enthusiasm for LTE deployment. Long Term Evolution (LTE) draws attention to the fact that Verizon has reportedly moved up their LTE deployment plans by a year, from 2010 to 2009, according to the report, and that globally, 18 operators have announced LTE rollout plans. “We forecast that by 2013 operators will spend over $8.6 billion on LTE base station infrastructure alone.”

 

Speaking of Verizon, the carrier has completed its acquisition of Alltel Corp., making it the single largest wireless carrier in the U.S. With the completion of this purchase, Verizon Wireless expects to expand its network coverage to approximately 290 million people and hopes to increase their customers by 12.9 million after conforming adjustments. In combination with its operations, the company plans to continue to use the Alltel brand for the next several months while it works to integrate networks, convert billing systems and upgrade high-speed wireless broadband service.

 

Verizon has also reportedly announced it has selected Microsoft  to provide portal, local and Internet search as well as mobile advertising services to customers. The companies have signed a five-year agreement.  Microsoft Live Search should be available early this year on new Verizon Wireless feature phones and smartphones. “Wireless data — from business-to-business data to multimedia services — now represents more than 25 percent of our revenue. Getting wireless search and advertising done right is critical to continuing to make wireless content relevant to our customers and our business,” said John Stratton, Verizon’s CMO.

 

Of course, carriers, including Verizon, still have holes in their coverage. “Dissatisfied with your advanced 3G cellular service when you walk inside your home or office?” asks Grigonis. One ingenious solution is the femtocell, and Ikanos Communications and Global Wireless Technologies are collaborating on a femtocell-based VDSL2 residential gateway platform. Global Wireless’ femtocell base station technology will be combined with Ikanos’ (News - Alert) Fusiv Vx180 integrated gateway processor to extend mobile coverage indoors, while providing flexible service options and reductions in cost and power consumption to the consumer and mobile operators.

 

Wireless coverage holes, in fact, are more common than carriers would like us to believe. In fact, I found some interesting data from a survey by Harris Interactive clearly indicates that network connectivity is an issue, which obviously inhibits the productivity otherwise enabled by today’s mobile devices. In fact, 70 percent of respondents say they experience problems with their service, including dropped communications and poor signal quality. To help enhance cellular signals, Wi-Ex has developed it zBoost line of boosters, a variety of products that includes single- and dual-band units, individual and multi-user deployments, and a variety of coverage areas. What they all have in common is a solution for the common cellular black hole. 

 

With all the attention on WiMAX and cellular services, we can’t forget the growing WiFi market, which is largely responsible for the overall growth of wireless communications. In fact, Michelle Robart writes that market research firm In-Stat says WiFi chipset sales grew 26 percent in 2008, to 387 million units. “WiFi has solidified its position as an essential technology for the home and the enterprise in 2008, and we expect our strong growth trajectory to continue,” said Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  “WiFi is a feature that users have come to expect in a wide array of products, and device makers are including WiFi in everything from handsets to mini-notebooks to media players.”

 

Despite its growth, one of the limits of WiFi technology is transmission speed, despite the advent of 802.11 technologies, and it often makes the use of bandwidth-intensive applications cumbersome across wireless connections. D-Link is looking to resolve those issues, and has taken a step in that direction with its D-Link Extreme N 450 Dual Band Router, which brings users a 50 percent or greater increase in throughput over most common routers today — as much as 450 Mbps. The new router is based on new chip technology that enables dual-stream technology, which results in the increase in capacity. “It is the next evolution in WiFi performance technology,” according to AJ Wang, D-Link CTO.  

 

All the devices that are being introduced with WiFi-chips — media players, handsets, PCs, laptops, routers, printers and more, however provide maximum benefit if they can be attached to networks, which often presents a challenge to users, who find it difficult to connect their networks appropriately — especially when it comes to security measures, which are paramount. Gigaset Communications, looking to help alleviate the stress for home users looking to create home networks, has introduced its NetGuru software to help manage the various devices found in home networks, eliminating any complexity — real or perceived — from the process. The company has also introduced its Gigaset DECT (News - Alert) 6.0 IP phones to the North American market, making wireless VoIP a breeze to install and configure.

 

Sticking with the wireless VoIP capabilities, D2 Technologies has had great success this past year with its vPort Gateway (GW) embedded VoIP platform, and Tim Gray reports that it has released the next generation of its flagship product line designed to enable OEMs and service providers to deliver to market the advanced mobile and CPE communications products. “By enhancing vPort, D2 is helping customers quickly respond to the increased market demand for VoIP-enabled devices in new application areas, on new platforms and with advanced features,” said Doug Makishima VP of marketing at D2.

 

And finally, a wireless conversation today is hardly complete without mention if Apple (News - Alert), the iPhone, or Steve Jobs, who, responding to resurfacing rumors about his striking weight loss, issued a statement on the company’s Web site saying he’s suffering from a hormone imbalance that robs him of proteins. Mike Dinan writes about comments from Apple’s Board of Directors: “Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its board.”

 

Wow! That’s a lot to digest — but it’s only a sample of the most interesting and the most important news from the wireless communications space this week. For more, be sure to visit TMCnet daily, signup for our eNewsletters, and set up your own personalized alerts to ensure you don’t miss anything.

 

And, for the absolute latest products, information, education, and news in wireless, don't miss the 4G Wireless Evolution show in Miami, February 2-4. The event is collocated with INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO, and will provide you all the insight and information you need in order to make the most of your wireless investments. In this economic environment you need a clear read on the direction of the wireless industry; 4GWE will help answer your questions, including what Nokia pulling out of WiMAX means to the industry.