As the workforce becomes wireless so does the ... - Connect-World

Optical Mobile wireless payment Mobile broadband systemsaccessHigh capacityToday’s business networks demand fastEthernet speeds. The T1/E1 connections ofyesterday’s voice-based networks are notcapable of providing the bandwidth that today’senterprises need to be successful. Finding thesolution that provides the lowest cost-per-bit isparamount.Cost efficiencyIt’s never hard to make a case for the valueof employing cost-effective solutions, butthe current projected increase in bandwidthdemand is just the beginning. Forward-lookingenterprises need to choose solutions that arenot only cost effective now, but that can scaleup rapidly and economically as capacity needscontinue to grow.Rapidly deployableSpeed of deployment is critical. In manyenterprises, broadband capacity is directlytied to time-to-revenue, for others broadbandcapability means at minimum ensuring that thebusiness can operate effectively. Either way,the difference between having a connectivitysolution in place in a matter of days, versusweeks or months, can translate directly to thecompany’s bottom line.Data securityAs global businesses continue to move towardsan all-wireless, all-digital model, the securityof data is absolutely crucial. Data securitywill always be an inherent challenge for RFwireless solutions; by its very nature the contentis broadcast in multiple directions, making itaccessible to anyone with the right snoopingequipment. RF is also plagued by interferenceand data-bleed, which can irreparablycompromise data, leading to information theftas well as network attack.Broadband options for enterpriseFiber is an option when a fixed line solutionis acceptable, but it is extremely costly andsecuring right-of-way and trenching meansa long deployment timeline. In the wirelessarena, traditional options include microwaveand WiMAX. Both require frequency licences,or taking your chances in an unlicensed band,and also incur a significant amount of leadtime.While all of these technologies have theirplace, a lesser-known technology is startingto come into its own as the need for lowcosthigh-capacity bandwidth rises rapidly.Currently there are less than a dozen companiesdeveloping OWB (Optical Wireless Broadband)technology, but a handful of these have startedto gain significant traction over the last fewyears, both in enterprise broadband and themobility backhaul space.Optical wireless broadband: an attractivealternative broadband technologyOptical wireless broadband technology,formerly known as free space optics, usesinfrared light to transmit a broadband datastream between two points, using air as thetransmission medium. It is a line-of-sighttechnology, deployed in a point-to-point link,where multiple links can be meshed together tocover campuses or cities. The unique qualitiesof this technology allow it to address the fourcritical communications needs of enterprisesdiscussed earlier in very powerful ways: cost,capacity, speed of deployment, and security.Capacity: The average bandwidth of an OWBlink ranges from 10Mbps to 2.5Gbps, with eachlink typically spanning one to two miles. Someexperimental short-range ten Gbps units existtoday, and OWB developers expect to havecommercially viable 10Gbps units within thenext 18 months.Cost: OWB offers an exceptionally low costper-gigabit,unmatched by any other wirelesstechnology. Industry analyst Chetan Sharmaindicated: “The CAPEX and OPEX of OWBnetworks is quite attractive compared toother technologies. The cost per site can besignificantly lower than that of others, especiallywith the new generation of OWB with smallerform factors and increased reliability.” Thisdifference can be seen in the figure.The table shows the differences in operationaland performance parameters between three keybroadband technologies - fiber, microwave,and OWB.Rapid deploymentThe optical wireless broadband technology hasa significant advantage over traditional solutionswhen it comes to speed of deployment. OWBis not slowed down by the need for frequencylicensing, RF studies, or the building permitsthat are needed when installing microwave orWiMAX, or the construction time and right-ofwayneeded for terrestrial fiber. When the leadtimeof deploying microwave (2-4 months) orfiber (6-12 months) means a two to 12 monthdelay until the business’s revenue stream canbe fully realized, critical revenue-generationtime that cannot be recovered. Deployingan alternative technology like OWB avoidsthat delay, and some OWB vendors havedeployment methodologies that allow them todeploy a link in a matter of hours.SecurityUnlike RF, optical wireless broadband is apoint-to-point technology, where the data istransmitted on an invisible beam of light. TheOWB beam is virtually impossible to intercept,ensuring the security of an enterprise’s data.Also, multiple OWB beams can be used in thesame space with no concern of interferenceor data-bleed. Optical wireless broadband isby far the most secure wireless transmissiontechnology available today, and it has beendeployed by some of the most securityconsciousenterprises and government agenciesin the world, including surveillance systemoperators, financial and banking businesses, andthe US Department of Defense.The need for wireless low-cost high-capacityenterprise data solutionsOptical wireless broadband is a valuable optionfor enterprises that need high capacity at verylow cost. Today the capacity of the wirelessbroadband needed even for small businessesis fuelling a migration to alternative solutionsthat can provide economical high-capacitybroadband. Enterprises that look to innovativesolutions like OWB will gain an edge on theircompetitors by saving both time and moneywhen implementing wireless communicationssolutions. •Fiber Microwave OWBCapacity GB MB GBOPEX High Low LowCAPEX High Moderate LowAverage 3 $90K $57K $16Kyear cost/connectionTDM support Yes Yes YesTime tomarket issuesPowerConsumptionTime todeploymentPermit andright-of-wayLicence, permits andinterference studies12W 50W 15WNo licence or rightof way required9-12 months 3-6 months 1-30 daysNorth America 2010 • 9