The Wireless Internet: Promises and Challenges

I n the 1980s, the personal computer migrated from the hobbyist’s den to the corporate desktop, thus becoming the biggest development of the decade in information technology. Ten years later, that honor fell to the Internet and wireless telephones, which until now have followed separate paths. This decade will see the convergence of wireless communications and the Internet. Although the commercial impact of wireless communications has thus far been limited to cellular telephones, the business and technical communities anticipate rapid growth in wireless data services. Almost daily, some prominent company announces plans for a “wireless e-commerce” enhancement to its business. In this article, I examine the outlook for wireless data. Specifically, I consider the utility of wireless data services, why they have not been widely adopted until now, the technology trends that promote wireless Internet convergence, and the obstacles preventing their implementation.