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Wireless World: WiFi Transforms Transport
Chicago (UPI) Oct 8, 2004 An ambulance leaves a hospital driveway in central London, and before it passes Paddington Station, a dispatcher sends instructions to the paramedic and driver, directing them to a traffic accident just a few blocks a way. But unlike the millions of ambulance-routing assignments in the past - made over the radio - this one is completed over the Internet, via Wireless Fidelity technology. We've gotten dispatching down to three seconds from three minutes, said Janet Boudris, chief executive officer of Broadbeam, a developer of mobile wireless technologies, located in Cranbury, N.J. With WiFi, you can pinpoint the nearest ambulance to an accident site, she told United Press International. You can send directions to the driver and tell them how to avoid congestion in the area. Mobile, wireless technology is transforming transportation in Europe and America. Whether it is for medical emergencies, or commuting from Manhattan in New York City to Montauk, Long Island, mobile WiFi has emerged as a necessary accessory for many travelers today. Though complex to accomplish, WiFi data-and-voice transmissions can be switched, seamlessly, for those on the go, with a sophisticated mix of software and hardware. The London ambulance service, implemented by Broadbeam, is a typical example of the kind of technology integration that is taking place. It's about leveraging technology in an innovative way, Boudris said. Five hundred ambulances have the equipment. The medical messages being sent over the air are encrypted and authenticated using so-called server push technologies, which direct the information to the intended recipient. The technologies used also include 802.11 wireless protocols. They allow dispatchers to direct drivers to crash sites, and paramedics to relay EKG and EEG signals directly to an emergency room, so doctors can know a patient's status the moment he or she arrives at the facility. The transmissions switch automatically between five networks, Boudris said, but the driver and the medical technician never have to think about it - they can just do their job. Another cutting-edge application of WiFi for mobile use is being employed by the Hampton Jitney, a bus line that runs from Manhattan to Montauk. It allows commuters to stay connected - performing their work or communicating with colleagues or family - during the ride. Other improvements are planned. We are adding new features to our unit, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and Bluetooth (wireless software) connectivity to offer additional mobile services, Craig Plunkman, co-founder of Wireless Rolling Area Network, or WiRAN, which provides the WiFi service to the jitney, told UPI. On the other side of the country, the Washington state ferry system is providing wireless access for commuters, both on their ships and in their parking lots, based on technology developed by Chantry Networks in Boston, a company spokeswoman told UPI. There are technical hurdles and obstacles confronting WiFi developers, however, experts said. These types of deployments face one overriding issue - how to provide a wireless solution that does not require tweaking or reconfiguring on the client side, the spokeswoman said. That would simply be too expensive and demanding. Down the West Coast, at the University of California, San Diego, a broadband bus called the CyberShuttle uses an 802.11 wireless local-area network, with wide-area network technology from Qualcomm, to provide students and faculty the ability to be online, with notebook computers or PDAs, while on the go around campus. They also can remain connected on a 1.25 megahertz channel, at up to 2.4 megabits per second, during trips from campus in La Jolla to the Sorrento Valley train station. Ships at sea also are using WiFi signals to communicate with people on shore, even far off the coast, said a spokesman for Wheat Wireless, a provider of the technology. The company has paying customers using this service, the spokesman told UPI. Another service delivers a high-speed Internet signal via satellite to a mothership, which can then relay that signal to a fleet of ships up to 30 miles away via a strong WiFi signal. Police departments, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, are using the WiFi technology to retrieve electronic records, while in pursuit of criminals. Even some consumers are getting into the new, mobile-WiFi trend. I know a guy in New York City that has built his own WiFi car, D. Kent Pingel, spokesman for an online site called the WiFi Guy, told UPI. Developers like Smith Micro, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., are creating applications that enable mobile workers to switch between cell-phone-based data networks, and WiFi hot-spots on the fly. Others are trying to ease the burden on mobile consumers. Chipmaker Alereon, in Austin, Texas, is developing an ultra-wideband chipset solution that eliminates the need for cables connecting notebook computers and mobile phones. The semiconductors someday may make it simple to connect all types of portable electronic devices to each other, an Alereon spokesman told UPI. Technology developments in the field of WiMax - wireless Internet that spans 30 miles, rather than just 300 feet, as with regular WiFi - also are emerging. Intel Corp. has invested in Speakeasy, in Seattle, which is planning to begin offering its WiMax service early next year, a spokesman told UPI. One benefit of this will be to provide broadband access for mobile-phone customers, and ensure access to emergency 911 services for wireless Internet telephony, also known as Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP. This has been a major hurdle in VOIP adoption, the Speakeasy spokesman added. Specialized software is used to manage wireless networks and to guarantee coverage, even when devices are switching from network to network - something mobile phone companies usually will not guarantee. Look for more, high-profile uses of WiFi technology to be announced soon, experts told UPI. If you have a mission-critical operation - saving lives - you want to ensure that you are always connected to an available network, Boudris said. All rights reserved. Copyright 2004 by United Press International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by United Press International. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of by United Press International. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Satellite-based Internet technologies
iPod Dominance A Mirage
Chicago (UPI) Jan 09, 2006Though Apple Computer has reported remarkable success with its iPod - sales rose by 250 percent during the last fiscal year - there is some competition coming this week for the developer of the world's most famous, legitimate music downloading network, experts tell United Press International's Networking. |
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