Intel researchers are working on a project called Rosepoint wherein they managed to put a digital 2.4 GHz WiFi radio on a chip, right next to one of their low-power Atom CPUs.  The new technology may soon show up in laptops and mobile devices, paving the way for gadgets with longer battery life, since a hardware such as Rosepoint’s will require less energy to run.

A standard WiFi – taking on the carriers

WiFi’s become a standard for most mobile devices these days, sparing you the reliance on 3G and 4G networks.  Manufacturers are investing a great deal to improve network capabilities on the devices themselves, but there’s an entire industry building up around mobility and an insatiable desire to access web content.  WiFi is gaining an identity all its own, either to the benefit or detriment of current network offerings.

“We’ve gotten to the point where WiFi is expected,” says Perry Correll, Director of Marketing at Xirrus, a high-performance WiFi provider.  “WiFi is reaching a point where it becomes a utility like water and electricity–it just has to be there.”

These days, Wi-Fi seems to be the feasible route, if you wan to stay connected with the internet using your mobile devices.  It’s an even more attractive alternative amidst rising prices from network providers, the majority of which are doing their best to cut your monthly data consumption.  Take AT&T for example: if users hit their 2GB of monthly data, their service will be slowed down to the point where they can’t even open their emails or pull up Facebook.

But it seems like AT&T is looking into customer woes, and considering the impending domination of Wi-Fi over 3G and 4G.

AT&T invested nearly $6.3 billion in its Texas wireless and wireline networks from 2009 through 2011, with a focus on improving the company’s mobile broadband coverage and overall performance of its networks.  They pushed through more than 4,500 wireless network upgrades in four key categories in Texas.

AT&T also launched its new 4G LTE network in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, but Correll feels more needs to be done by the network providers than merely improving their 4G networks.  With a focus on the enterprise, Xirrus has a firsthand seat witnessing the scalability issues of 4G, and recognizes the potential WiFi technology has to solve some of these problems.  Xirrus even takes an enterprise server approach to address their own scalability, creating a WiFi system that can be added onto with plug-n-play radios.

“We’re heavily involved as far as the WiFi industry goes,” Correll goes on.  “The industry used to be carrier-focused and now there’s heavy interest in WiFi.  [Carriers] know that with tablets, smartphone and video, 3G will never be able to support.  There’s got to be a way to offload that traffic–use WiFi instead of 3G.”

WiFi shows off at Mobile World Congress 2012

Still, others see Wi-Fi as the solution for congested networks, as well ballooning data bills.  It is expected that this year’s Mobile World Congress will be the stage for small cells and integrated Wi-Fi systems.

ip.access will be showcasing the E-100, its first combination 3G and 4G small cell, with a Wi-Fi upgrade slot, for enterprises and indoor public spaces such as malls and stadiums, during the event.  And Alcatel-Lucent will be showcasing the lightRadio Wi-Fi, a device that makes seamless transition between 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi without compromising security.

The future of WiFi – automated network switch

The growing demand for mobile access has opened a new avenue for WiFi providers, and its standardization and monetization are inevitable byproducts for the industry.  And with deeper integration on devices and on the commercial level, you’ll soon be able to switch between wireless networks automatically, running in the background.  Similar to the way your mobile device switches between 4G and roaming, your phone will switch between 4G and WiFi without compromising voice quality, and in many cases improving your speed.

WiFi is still working on addressing the capabilities of voice networks, and buttoning up the extent of security concerns in the public sector, but as WiFi proves itself a viable alternative, more faith is being placed in its accessible appeal.

At the local level, WiFi is being positioned as a marketing portal.  We see this in growing networks such as JiWire’s–just think of the welcome screen you get when accessing WiFi at the airport or from a cafe’s free offering.  Correll even sees this extending to the retail level:

“To the next level we have even had discussions about location tracking inside retail facilities. When you come in the store will give you a tablet to assist your shopping and finding items; however it can also be used to track you movements within the store. Stop too long in front of the big screen TVs and you might get a pop up window with a 10% off TVs message or it may even trigger an alarm to a sales rep, he will be on his way to close the deal. All kinds of possibilities here as a result of not just total connectivity but also location tracking – for better or worse.”

Contributors: Mellisa Tolentino