One small indication that wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and WiMAX are set to transform the digital landscape is the growing number of year-end top ten lists that now included wireless developments.
Perhaps the most notable was MIT's Technology Review, which include municipal Wi-Fi as one of the five most significant advances in information technology for 2005. Up from a scant handful a year and a half ago, the publication noted that now more than 300 U.S. cities were considering municipal Wi-Fi to provide inexpensive wireless Internet access anywhere.
Kate Greene suggested in the Technology Review that the year's most important development may turn out to be Google's bid to fund a network in San Francisco which it plans to fund through advertising. And indeed, Google's surprise move sparked widespread speculation about new directions the search engine giant might take.
But as well, she noted, many other big Internet companies now see business opportunities in municipal Wi-Fi. EarthLink was chosen to build the wireless infrastructure for Philadelphia despite efforts by Verizon, which runs Philadelphia's phone system, to stop the city government from moving in this direction.
But the Technological Review was far from the only publication to single out wireless and especially municipal wireless as one of the significant developments of the year. Andrew Garcia writing in eWeek suggested that 2005 was the year of WLANs, wide-area wireless, WiMax and other things beginning with W. And he added, "The hype was hot and heavy for wide-area wireless this year, as a number of technologies gained a wider audience and backing from moneyed sponsors. But the cloud of possible legal action cast large shadows over every technology and action."
The San Jose Mercury News put municipal Wi-Fi networks in the number one spot of its top 10 tech trends for 2006. "Although Wi-Fi will still dominate as the most common way to connect your laptop computer to the Internet, WiMax will emerge," the News noted. "Already being tested extensively in the United States and abroad, WiMax can carry Internet signals across miles, rather than hundreds of feet as with Wi-Fi. Some predict we'll live in a world served by a global WiMax network that connects us all 24/7."
The emergence of Wi-Fi and wireless Internet access on this year's top ten lists wasn't limited the U.S. either. The Canadian publication Now magazine listed "Free Wi-Fi" in its tech top ten list for 2005. "Cities around the world have begun to reimagine Internet access as a utility rather than an upper-middle class privilege," it emphasized. And it added that apart from Philadelphia and San Francisco, even places like the island of Mauritius are on their way to becoming wireless and totally free.
Computer World's quick online poll, asking what the biggest IT issue was in 2005, brought a healthy 17% for the "rise of wireless technology" (surpassed only by data breaches and outsourcing, each which received 23% of the votes). While certainly not a comprehensive survey, it is interesting to see that for Computer World readers, the advance of wireless technologies is viewed as most significant by almost as many people as those who rate security and outsourcing as the biggest IT issue.
But if there is any doubt that Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies are increasingly seen as an important transformational development, all I would suggest is follow the money. Or rather in this case, follow the advice that is now going out to investors. Forbes in its online promotion for its Wireless Stock Watch now offers the headline: Welcome to the Wireless Economy. And it goes on to suggest, "Just 24 months ago most of Wall Street had completely written-off wireless and telecom stocks for dead. But here at Forbes, we saw it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to pick up exciting growth stocks at incredible values. After all, walk into a Starbucks or McDonald's and you can open up a laptop and log onto the Web - without any wires. Our streets are filled with commuters conversing on cellular telephones. In China cellular phone usage has already surpassed U.S. cell phone usage. In short the WIRELESS REVOLUTION is here..."
Steve Forbes is even quoted: "Wireless really does represent the sleeping giant of Wall Street. It's the next significant opportunity to turn $25,000 or $50,000 into a small fortune while you still have time to enjoy it."
Of course, top 10 lists and even investor advice doesn't necessarily mean all that much at the end of the day. What does count is what people do with the technological opportunities that present themselves.
Nevertheless, all this is certainly a healthy indication of the growing expectations for municipal wireless and, as the Forbes folks put it, that the wireless revolution is here.
