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Week of June 22, 2000 |
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Wireless access seen as wave of the future on Internet By Candice VentraSome local firms are focusing on creating and distributing wireless Internet-access devices because non-wireless tools are quickly becoming outdated, at least one industry professional says. Richard Calienes, vice president and founder of Nexus Integration Services — a systems integration and software development company — said land-based phone lines will become obsolete within five years as a means of Internet access. He said copper wire lines cannot meet the ever-increasing bandwidth requirements many companies and individuals are demanding. "What's happening is that the land-based lines are overburdened," Mr. Calienes said. "People want faster access to the Internet. Copper wires don't have the ability to put this kind of data through." Although fiber optics and other cable systems have been used as a solution, many providers are finding they must offer clients wireless Internet access to stay in the e-loop, he said. Wireless Internet access is not only the future in the US, he said — Latin America and Europe have already started making strides in developing and using wireless technology. Cellular phones are at the forefront of the wireless evolution, he said. AT&T has its own wireless Internet-access mechanism, says spokesperson Sophia Dewar. The device, PocketNet, is a cellular phone that allows a user to receive and send data over the Internet. "It was launched May 1 but we just got it in our hands two weeks ago," Ms. Dewar said. BellSouth Wireless Data, a division of BellSouth, has an e-mail pager, said spokesperson Spero Canton, that allows users to access e-mail and other information via a pager. BellSouth is also developing a wireless device for organ procurement, he said. "The device will help to reduce the time its takes to find matches for organ donors to a few minutes from an hour," Mr. Canton said. It will utilize information via the web to make the matches. Mr. Canton said although wireless devices are an integral part of Internet access, land-based lines should not be dismissed as an endangered species. BellSouth is installing T-1 lines in various cities throughout the county, including Coral Gables, he said. T-1 lines, Mr. Canton said, are land-based lines that can handle a lot of capacity for large servers. "We've seen a steady growth of land-based telephone lines," Mr. Canton said. "They have several advantages over wireless." One, he said, is that land-based lines are economically feasible because they have a low fixed rate for use. Land-based lines can also be more reliable because they are less affected by weather, he said. Since a large number of T-1 lines are installed throughout the day, he said, the company has no exhaustive record yet of how many are installed and in which areas. Details: Nexus Integration Services, (305) 553-3800.
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