What is wireless internet”, can I get it,” and what are the benefits over normal broadband?
Wireless Internet is access that is provided to you”, in your house or else where, without a physical connection to a communication line, like a cable line or telephone line.
Wireless internet is provided using radio waves which means you aren’t tethered to a certain location.
The way you receive the internet from a wireless provider can be many different ways. Some providers use the mobile phone network to provide you with high speed internet, other use a recent technology called WiMax, or 802.16, to give you the speed without the wires, while others provide you with wireless internet using slightly modified or completely open WiFi, or 802.11, technology.
Each kind of technology has it’s advantages and disadvantages.
Mobile Phone Network
The mobile phone network providers, such as BigPond, Optus, Virgin and 3 are expensive for the service you are getting, and have speed problems due to their networks not being completely modern. But they have the advantage when it comes to coverage area, with most populated regions of Australia being provided with some form of mobile phone coverage.
WiMax
WiMax, or 802.16, is still somewhat expensive, but the prices are coming down as the technology progresses and they increase their coverage area. Providers of the WiMax technology include companies like Unwired and Chilli.
WiFi
WiFi providers have only recently entered the market place and provid, in some cases the best value. WiFi providers will often operate in highly populated areas or major shopping areas. In some cases they provide free access to the internet if they are using a normal WiFi access point, or a pay for use system simialr to what McDonalds and Starbucks use. Other companies provide their own modified WiFi routers that have been set up to gain access to their tank of access.
In most cases the WiFi access providers are usally the small local companies trying to provide local communities with something they other wise couldn’t get.
Currently on the Central Coast you can get either mobile phone coverage or WiFi coverage only. Wifi coverage is only provided in certain areas of the coast.
Normal broadband, cable or ADSL has certain limitations. Cable is restricted to where it has been rolled out, major metropolitan areas,” and ADSL can only be recieved in your local telephone exchange has been upgraded to include the service and if you live withing a few kilometres from it.
Speed provided on Wireless Internet is not as reliable as the speed provided by most normal broadband providers.