(Apologies if this shows up a second time..I seem to be having some
problems with yahoo groups..)
Folks,
Is there a technical reason, like perhaps power requirements, or voice
coexistence issues(though the freq ranges 0.9GHz and 2.4GHz seem far apart
enough) that prevent us from having internet capable cell phones with
802.11?

I ask because I was reading on CNET today that 3G is way behind phones coming
out[1].

At times in the past on this list, and on Dave's Seybold2001 site[2] and list
there has been talk about finding an economic model for allowing parasite
802.11 networks to exist.

It would seem to me if I were an ISP that being able to charge 5 phone
customers in addition to the 1 broadband customer would be a better bet. Today
802.11 public access does not constitute a business model as few people outside
the valley seem to have the laptop+card combo in the general public.

On the other hand a whole lot have cell phones but havent done wireless web
as its slow and awful.

So, if it could be built into phones in enough volume to keep the cost low..
and phones have gotta be abetter way to sell it than laptop cards, the
average broadband consumer would be subsidized by the cell phone owners.
This means for that the ISP could charge broadband owners a smaller monthly
price and a subsidized phone->802.11 router, allowing for more uptake of
broadband, greater cells in a neighbourhood, and automatic better service.
A stream could be aggregated swarmcast like over different routers to reduce
bandwidth impact on each.

So the broadband user got it cheaper. The cell phone person got speeds
possibly faster than 3G without too much infrastructure cost to the
ISP/phone company. With faster speeds the cell phone would be more of a real
device than the pathetic WAP so maybe 'wireless web' uptake would be greater
and the phones themselves would not be too expensive. The ISP/telco is
saving on 3G equipment instead having the DSL user fund the architecture
somewhat and provide the service. Whats lost in the per DSL user cost is made
up by the likely greater penetration in the phone market, if the penetration
there is large enough to offset the greater number of DSL customers.
With more broadband services there would exist the possibility of greater
transaction costs.

Ofcourse the prices would be adjusted so that the Telco makes a larger gross
margin due to a larger volume. There would seem to be a positive feedback
loop due to the influx of phone customers.

So why does this not happen today? I am not very clued on the technology,
and so I wanted to ask, what are the technical factors which make this not
happen, as it would seem the econimics work out..?

Rahul
http://tig.nareau.com

[1] http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-7120842.html?tag=tp_pr
[2] http://seybold2001.manilasites.com/