Total mobility: A long road ahead, or are there shortcuts?

The age of mobile connectivity has arrived, but how far are we from achieving total mobility? Some believe that we still have quite a number of obstacles to overcome, while others believe is not a matter of years anymore. Andr'e Rossouw, Toshiba product manager at local distributor Rectron, takes an in-depth look at the vision of total mobility, discussing where we are today, and where we hope to be in the near future.

The dream of total mobility and ubiquitous connectivity is not that farfetched anymore.

Already there are key developments in processing, mobile devices, wireless devices and global infrastructure that are taking us one step closer to total mobility.

Indeed, total mobility promises to give people the freedom to work and communicate anywhere, anytime.

But to comprehend the evolution to total mobility, we should have a closer look at those trends and enablers that are setting the pace.

Notebooks have arguably become the centre of the mobile worker`s world. In conjunction with PDAs and cellular phones, they free users to work more productively at any location.

Already vendors have launched cutting-edge technologies that enable notebook mobility such as Intel`s Centrino mobile technology that integrates WiFi (also known as 802.11b) capabilities at the processor level.

For corridor warriors, this means wireless roaming in the office, allowing people to work more collaboratively, or spontaneously exchange information.

Wireless access via "hotspots" in public spaces also enables users to gain access to real-time while on the move.

However, total mobility involves more than just enabling devices wireless access. Small, but significant attributes that notebooks should have are longer battery life and better processing performance - enabling users to work wirelessly for longer.

Integrated technology also means that small form factors are possible, thus allowing slim, light and ultra-portable notebooks.

Devices alone are not enough to drive the wireless revolution and achieve the vision of total mobility. The global infrastructure for wireless also has an important role to play.

Approximately a year ago many saw 3G and WiFi as "either-or" choices. Today is would be accurate to say that they`ve become almost overlapping technologies, allowing users to access voice and data communications.

In spite of 3G`s failed promises, it has recently seen some new life blown into it with the global rise of "hotspots" and public access to wireless LAN services.

Research authority Gartner predicts that there will be approximately 100 000 "hotspots" locations worldwide by 2006. In SA, for example, the Airports Company of SA (ACSA) has already started to deploy "hotspot" technology at its Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban domestic and international airport terminals.

Gartner also estimates that by 2007 there will be more than 31 million frequent users of public "hotspots" and more than 32 million infrequent users.

The wireless LAN roadmap is often referred to as the "alphabet soup" of standards. 802.11b currently offers speeds of 11Mbps and it is estimated that by the end of this year, or the beginning of 2004 we should see wireless LAN speeds of up 54Mbps.

This means that wireless access will accelerate, offering users an enhanced mobile working experience.

In the future we can also anticipate that "hotspots" will become WiFi agnostic models, supporting the range of speeds and standards used by clients.

Increasingly WiFi and GPRS (general packet radio service) services will be combined. In fact, seamless roaming with notebooks - equipped with WiFi and GPRS - are already available today.

Imagine, for example, GPRS embedded notebooks and wireless LAN-enabled telephones that will allow intuitive access to voice and data with a range of wireless devices.

In the future it would probably be more accurate to talk about wireless zones, ecosystems or cities. In New York, for example, there is an initiative (http://www.nycwireless.net) initiative to promote wireless Internet access in public spaces throughout the regions, therefore, creating an ecosystem of "hotspots".

Finally, within three years the wireless LAN market will also enter the home. Wireless for audio and video streaming will give users a great experience. The digital home will offer a rich array of multimedia and entertainment opportunities for us all.