Wi-Fi Handbook: Building 802.11b Wireless Networks
The best guide to designing and building Wi-Fi.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Wi-Fi Handbook: Building 802.11b Wireless Networks
Chapter 8: Economic Aspects of Wi-Fi
Can using 802.11 applications save subscribers money? Can it make money for service providers? Does it significantly lower barriers to entry to the broadband Internet market? The absence of cabling and obtaining rights-of-way are the first indications of potential savings in the installation of a network. Perhaps one of the strongest arguments in favor of 802.11 is that it presents a potential cost-effective means of offering broadband Internet service to a mass market with the least expense in infrastructure relative to wired technologies (twisted-pair copper, coax cable, and fiber to the home). This low cost in infrastructure promotes the deployment of 802.11 services by less well capitalized entrepreneurs, municipal networks, and even free-net community networks built and maintained by volunteers. The growth of 802.11 networks is often described as being "viral" (that is, unplanned) or "grassroots."
The Economics of Wireless in the Enterprise
The economics of 802.11 in enterprise applications should be assessed in two ways: (1) by comparing applications where the wireless network is simply less expensive to deploy than the wired network where both applications perform the same function and (2) by examining situations where a wireless network enables employees to be more efficient. Money saved is money earned.
You Can Take It with You when You Go
802.11 has gained wide acceptance as a technology in enterprise networks. This is because of many reasons, including cost savings, mobility, employee productivity, and possibly layering. The origin of wireless networks rests in the convenience of not having to...
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