Will next-generation networks feature super-enhanced
UMTS using W-CDMA? Maybe so, but we'll dispense with the jargon for a second. Mobile operators may need something more
than W-CDMA, which is set to inherit the mantlepiece from the time-division-based GSM standard and will also
replace current CDMA networks. This all sounds so happy - some kind of unified global wireless
standard - perhaps.Will WiFi and WiMAX technologies replace the standard cellular-based transmission and reception technology we all know and love so well? Both WiFi and WiMAX don't depend on a honeycomb arrangement of cells to ensure wireless coverage, but how would these technologies replace tried and trusted cellular technology? The meshing of overlaps needed to feed large coverage areas bring up many questions. The massive amount of coverage to step in and just replace what customers are used to is an enormous challenge. The Infonetics research cited in this article is kind of intriguing - maybe we'll have hybrid replacement networks using WiFi/WiMAX in metro areas and W-CDMA to replace all the fringe areas that still need coverage. By 2015 we'll probably know.
