When wireless worlds collide

[Commentary] Once, the future of wireless depended exclusively on the mobile-phone companies’ ability to secure enough spectrum in order to beef up their cellular networks. Now, Wi-Fi is emerging as the leading means for delivering ubiquitous connectivity. The widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets is driving this “Wi-Fi first” change of direction.

In the United States, 90% of tablet owners bought their devices without a wireless data contract—so confident were they in never needing to access the internet via a mobile carrier’s pricey cellular network. However, while ideal for distributing broadband around the home, Wi-Fi out in the wild still leaves a lot to be desired. Accessing hotspots found in cafes, shopping malls, libraries, airports, sports arenas and hotels can mean risking either identity theft on an open connection, or answering a web-page of queries and handing over credit-card details -- and then paying through the nose for a few hours’ worth of internet access. Even then, download speeds can slow to a crawl as others share the connection’s limited bandwidth. In an ideal world, one might start the day downloading e-mail on a tablet at home; carry on doing so using a smartphone while waiting for a bus or train; finish off the task on a laptop at work or in a coffee shop -- all without having to log on afresh with each change of device and location. If the promise of ubiquitous connectivity is to mean anything, then users will need seamless hand-off from one Wi-Fi hotspot to another, and automatic authentication of their logon and password, no matter the device or network being used. In short, Wi-Fi has to function as transparently as a mobile phone.