The Long Road to Wireless Standards By Sheila Galatowitsch from the December 2000 issue of Broadband Week Operators aren't waiting for standards to deploy fixed wireless broadband services, but the long-term success of the market depends upon them. Unlike the classic problem of the chicken or the egg, there's no question which came first in fixed wireless broadband.
Deployment is way out in front of standards development, and rightly so, say industry observers.
In the rush to capture broadband customers, time to market is critical. Allied Business Intelligence Inc. The need for early deployment cuts across all fixed wireless broadband frequencies, including local multipoint distribution service, multichannel multipoint distribution service and unlicensed bands. While getting to market is today's priority, operators know that staying there over the long run requires a standards consensus. Standards will ultimately lower the cost for both vendor and customer equipment, making wireless broadband an attractive choice for price-sensitive customers. Standards and interoperability are paramount to operators, but because they are working under a severe time crunch, they can't always keep on top of the latest developments, says Andrew Kreig, president of the Wireless Communications Association International.