Demand for wireless local-area network (WLAN) is growing, only limited by the number of access locations, a telecom industry analyst said yesterday.
"By the end of last year, less than 50 locations had offered wireless connections, however, with 300 locations currently in use, growth is expected to top 500 by year end. In 2002, that figure will double or triple," said Liang Sheng-kai (梁昇凱), a telecom analyst at the Market Intelligence Center.
Further expansion of access locations will allow more people to utilize the service.
"When service coverage can be as popular as public phones, people will accept it because of the convenience," Liang said.
A wireless local-area network is a data communications system that acts as an alternative for a wired local-area network. By using radio frequency technology, the wireless network transmits and receives data over the air, eliminating the need for wired connections.
In Taiwan, wireless networks can be found at CKS International Airport, Taipei Sungshan Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport, as well as several coffee shops in Taipei and Taichung.
The service enables users to transmit e-mail, browse Web sites via notebooks or personal digital assistants without plugging devices into a wall socket.
Getting online requires the installation of wireless Internet modules and passwords provided by service operators. Transmission speed is 11Mbit per second or nearly 200 times faster than a dial-up connection.
One industry insider said business looks promising.
"In October, there was a total of 100,000 minutes of airtime used by our customers in [Taiwan's] airports, and that number is expected to jump significantly," said Hsu Kunag-cheng (許光成), general manager of Yaw Jen Technology Co Ltd (曜正科技), a WLAN services operator in Kaohsiung International Airport.
"We target business people as they travel a lot and are heavy users of e-mail," Hsu said.
There are some hurdles, however, that companies will have to overcome.
"Since wireless connections make use of radio frequencies, if two operators want to provide service in the same neighborhood, interference will be a problem," Liang said.
In addition, since different companies issue different passwords, users may have to switch their personal identity numbers from location to location.
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