Fast Company Weighs In on 3G vs. Wi-Fi
These stories are getting so common maybe we should create a new category for them, “3G vs. Wi-Fi.” Fast Company has decided that “3G is a bomb” and it’s Wi-Fi to the rescue (surprise!). And who will bring Wi-Fi to the masses? Why your neighborhood electric utility of course! First off 3G is definitely in trouble, but not because of lack of demand followed by expensive licenses as this article would lead you to believe. Technology delays and licenses are problems. However, there are hints that people do want wireless data on their phones if the user experience is right. For example consider the increased interest in WAP thanks to GPRS color handsets. On the Wi-Fi side Fast Company sees Wi-Fi as a last-mile solution, which it was never intended to be in its current form (nor is 3G for that matter). You still need to plug your access point into a DSL or cable modem to do anything with it. And the electric companies? It would have been easier for them to offer high-speed internet over their existing power line infrastructure and take on DSL and cable providers, but they haven’t. So why exactly they would get involved with Wi-Fi is beyond me.
