As worldwide wireless LAN shipments grow 120% year-on-year, but local restrictions continue, vendors of WiFi (high-speed wireless Internet access) equipment such as D-Link are getting a little tetchy about the uncertainty surrounding the technology`s legal applications.
Attie Pienaar, D-Link SA branch manager, is not alone. Users want the certainty that their provider will stay in business, legitimate ISPs are frustrated by their inability to offer wireless Internet, and vendors are losing out by the month.
The growing clamour grew when SA`s information and communications technology and electronics industry vanguard, Savant, raised the concern this week that "too much regulation could extinguish hotspots before the technology is even proven ... a valuable commodity in the local market".
All this comes at a time when the Independent Communications Authority of SA is still grappling to define WiFi and its legalities. The deadline it set for public comment on its discussion papers is 21 July, but it may need two months or more to formalise public input into regulations.
"SA has the skills, infrastructure and resources to establish hotspots, and has done so already," says Adrian Schofield, president of the Information Industry of SA. However, he adds that considering enforcing regulation upon what is an unrealised market is futile. The advantages and positive results of the technology should materialise before energy, time and financial resources are poured into regulation, he says.
Savant invites the industry to participate in an opinion poll on the subject.
Legalise it
Schofield admits there may well be issues requiring some regulation, "such as signal strength, signal containment and Internet security. But there is no evidence to suggest that licence fees are merited. Indeed, there is growing evidence that regulation of communications reduces a nation`s ability to derive the benefits of technology."
The vendor perspective
D-Link`s Pienaar says the vendor has taken into account the widespread interest that hotspots have generated overseas. "There are no reasons why SA businesses cannot experience the same benefits," he says.
"Many businesses could benefit from WiFi. The SA economy is such that we cannot afford to have regulation determine whether or not we can make a living. There is no time to sit back and wait to see what happens. Hotspots are hot now," adds Pienaar.
D-Link adds to the clamour by telling its value-added resellers (VARs) of the attractive opportunities of deploying hotspot technology. "By installing hotspots, D-Link VARs can help venue owners attract more customers, enable them to add value to their current service levels and ultimately increase revenue."
He says solutions are easy, cost-effective and simple to install. "It takes 10 minutes to set up an access point, and then you still have to take it out of the box.
"All you need is an ADSL, ISDN or dial-up modem, an Internet gateway (R2 000, which includes a built-in firewall) and one or more access points (R2 000 each), depending on the total area of the wireless network. A wireless network interface PC or PDA card (R1 000 each) enable wireless connection for Windows-based handheld devices and notebook PCs.
"The latest notebooks and handheld devices come with wireless interfaces already built-in," Pienaar points out. "Most users already have an Internet connection, but those who don`t can purchase a single modem-gateway solution for around R2 500. Total cost of the installation amounts to around R5 000, or even less, depending on how much of the required infrastructure already exists at the venue."
D-Link has already appointed several hotspot partners and is looking to appoint more across the country.
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