Data-only wireless broadband technology from startup IPWireless is designed to leverage the spectrum efficiencies of European universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) standards. The San Bruno, California-based company offers service providers a unique third-generation data option: Functioning as an alternative to DSL and cable broadband for those who work from fixed-location home and small-office environments, it is equally suitable for laptop-toting road warriors.

With speeds of up to 3 Mbps upstream and 6 Mbps downstream and a service range of three to five miles from each base station, the IPWireless system can be implemented as a data-overlay network in a 3G business case or used in a last-mile setting. It is currently under evaluation by fixed and wireless operators, particularly for markets that previously have been neglected by telcos and cable operators.

Not for Hot Spots

With systems that blanket a territory with dense cellular-like coverage, companies like IPWireless and Bell Labs spinoff Flarion Technologies differ from the hot-spot business model springing up across the United States. They hope to serve the needs of license-holding service providers that are placing their bets on wireless data.

IPWireless technology has been three years in the making, and it seems the timing for its rollout could not be better. Spending for expansion of DSL and cable broadband into new communities has slowed considerably as the world economy has sputtered, and license holders in Europe and Asia will continue to hemorrhage cash as they act on their 3G ambitions. Any technology that promises a cost-conscious alternative is likely to pique interest.

The company’s UK-based engineering team boasts a collection of talent from leading IP networking and wireless organizations, such as Cisco, Ericsson, Lucent and Motorola. But it is Alcatel that first put its stamp of approval on IPWireless. The French technology giant recently validated the company’s work by announcing that it would begin marketing the IPWireless network to European mobile operators alongside its own frequency-division duplex (FDD) mobile network products.

TDD Spells Mobile Data

FDD systems are designed specifically for the new 3G mobile networks in Europe and are optimal for voice traffic, while time-division duplex (TDD) alternatives, such as those developed by IPWireless, can be used by service providers to offer their customers multi-megabit mobile data services.

“The beauty of IPWireless mobile broadband technology is that it serves a variety of purposes,” CEO Chris Gilbert told NewsFactor. “Whether providing mobile broadband services, DSL-type connectivity or new packet-based applications, we are seeing universal demand for our technology.”

 The Silver Surfer

Customers of service providers employing the IPWireless technology can access the network in two ways: In home or office environments, customers plug the silver, transistor radio-size IPWireless modem into their computers using traditional USB or Ethernet connections. In the field, laptop users rely on the company’s advanced 3G PCMCIA card.

Walker Wireless of New Zealand has been very proactive in rolling out IPWireless technology over the last year and soon may expand into other markets.

In the United States, 2003 should be a watershed year for the company. Maui Sky Fiber in Hawaii has six sites deployed on the island. In Missoula, Montana — a textbook example of a market overlooked by incumbent providers — ISP OneWest has leapfrogged most of the country by offering 3G mobile broadband for just US$44.95 per month. Dallas-based Clearwire recently launched service in Jacksonville, Florida, taking the IPWireless vision into a larger market.

“Our ability to deliver profitable wireless networks has won the support of key strategic partners,” Gilbert said. “We are on track to ramp to hundreds of thousands of users within the next year.”

Retro Benefits?

While it may seem “retro” to compare the IPWireless modem to a transistor radio, its silvery enclosure and flip-up antenna will remind the 30+ crowd of their first experience with portable entertainment and information.

And while it might be far-fetched to suggest that IPWireless will have the same influence on the communications landscape that the transistor had, its dual-market technology for fixed and mobile broadband suggests new possibilities for telecom service providers at a time when many lack a clear plan of action.