Deterrent In Wireless Business Is Overcome

By delicensing the 2.4 GHz spectrum, the Central Government has overcome a

major deterrent in the wireless business. The move is in the right direction,

and should provide a major boost to business in the long term.

The 2.4 GHz spectrum has been delicensed for use in wireless local area

networks (WLAN) for the time being. The Government first wants to check out if

there will be any interference in the police communication system with this

delicensing, before going ahead with the delicensing of this particular spectrum

for wireless wide area networks (WWAN).

This is understandable because the frequency band used by the police is very

close to 2.4 GHz. Hence, checking out on the possible interference is pragmatic

before going full steam ahead with the delicensing for WWANs.

Delicensing the 2.4 GHz spectrum for WWANs is what vendors and partners have

been waiting for. When that happens, the business is expected to get a major

boost.

Already some of the major five-star hotels have implemented WLANs and want to

go for WWANs. So, delicensing the band for WWANs can release held up orders for

implementing these projects.

Earlier, every customer who wanted to go in for WLANs had to apply for a

license with cumbersome documentation. And the license would take anywhere

between three weeks to two months to come about.

Also, the license had to be renewed every year. This annual renewing ritual

held back customers from going in for WLANs. Very few customers wanted to get

involved in bureaucratic hassles in the middle of their business commitments.

While getting a license was a deterrent, what weighed primarily with

customers was the cost. Then there was the question of which technology to use,

and finally, security. Costs have been gradually going down and, at the same

time, availability of bandwidth has been increasing.

The result has been that more and more customers have been looking at the

option of WLANs. Security has not been considered a major issue for WLANs but it

will take centerstage when customers opt for WWANs.

Security solutions for WWANs do exist say vendors who are looking for major

action in this segment in the coming months and years. When WWANs come,

competition between technologies is also expected to hot up as WWAN technology

offers competition to leased lines as well as VSats to some extent, with all the

three having their strengths and weaknesses.

That the Government has understood the obstacles faced by wireless vendors

and has removed the license deterrent goes to show the Government’s bonafides

that it wants the business in this segment to grow manifold.