It was only the reintroduction of spread spectrum by Sylvania Corp. in 1957, made possible by high- speed processors, that their contribution was brought to light. Spread spectrum transmissions, used by the military for encoding microwave signals, have helped keep signal intelligence communications top secret for decades. And other spread spectrum patents have acknowledged the Lamarr-Antheil design. Today, Apple Computer, a host of Silicon Valley Internet service providers, libraries and developing countries are using spread spectrum technology to link themselves wirelessly to the Internet. But Internet engineers and connectivity experts continue to be skeptical.
Residential customers receive their signals through rooftop antennae.
But unlike other wireless connections, which require line modem connections for programming instructions, SST signals are two-way. The speed into the computer is the same as the speed out, and phone lines aren't needed. SST has become a highly efficient communication method because it enables multiple users to share radio frequencies at the same time. Scott Mindemann, a CS Wireless Communications executive in charge of an Internet connection service in Dallas called The Beam, thinks SST wireless may be successful in rural areas but doubts that it can find a dependable niche inside urban centers. Anybody can go into it.