Wireless networks, WLAN - A technical market report - PTS-ER-2004:12

28/04/2004

Wireless networks, WLAN, use the unlicensed frequency bands at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The most common standard used is 802.11b, which however is now being complemented with 802.11g, a standard in the same frequency band providing higher bandwidth to the end user.

A wireless network use radio waves for transmitting data between the computer and the access point, which may be some kind of a router or a switch, whereas a wired network (LAN) uses cables. Also handheld computers, such as Palm and iPAQ can be used for accessing a wireless network, even though a large proportion of handheld devices in use today do not offer WLAN capabilities.

The wireless networks can either be private, in someone’s home or office, or public. The latter can either be an open, non-commercial network or a network where access is offered on a commercial basis, such as Telia Homerun. The technical products used in both types of networks is however very similar, consisting mainly of one or more access points connected to the Internet in one end and to the wireless users’ computers in the other end. The public network is then complemented with systems for charging and authentication, which can either be implemented via login names and passwords or through the use of SIMcards, just as for mobile telephone networks.

A major problem area for wireless network is security. The security mechanisms implemented in WLAN systems is to a large extent insufficient. This, together with limited end user knowledge especially when using private wireless networks, leads to security problems. Wireless networks are, for example, one the most common ways of injecting viruses onto the Internet. A lot of effort is however being put into these security aspects, both by standardization bodies and by equipment manufacturers.

Will WLAN become a substitute to 3G, or can both systems coexist? The common understanding today is that WLAN will probably not totally substitute 3G for wireless access to the Internet, but serve as a complement. The cellular technology used in 3G offers reach and coverage, whereas WLAN offers higher bandwidth to a lower cost.