I tested the cT-1000 PC Card and the mT-1000 modem, which connects to a PC or NAT router over Ethernet. Both devices use a small, removable antenna and were easy to install. Regardless of client hardware, my performance tests yielded similar results. I measured performance between RTP and a NetIQ/Ixia Chariot server in our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. When working from fixed locations, average downstream TCP throughput ranged from about 1 Mbps when using the mT-1000 modem to 1.2 Mbps when using the cT-1000 PC card. Upstream throughput in both cases was about 500 Kbps, and latency was less than 60 milliseconds. I also tested the service in a moving vehicle (driving at 60 mph) and saw downstream and upstream throughputs of 640 Kbps and 333 Kbps, respectively. Latency was an impressive 76 ms.
For comparison, I tested a Time-Warner RoadRunner connection using the same test bed. At 2.7 Mbps, downstream throughput was more than twice as fast as that of Wireless Broadband, but upstream throughput was slightly slower. This was only noticeable on large file transfers, so my user experience was not significantly different.
The same thing can't be said for competitive cellular data service offerings. In my opinion, the Nextel service could easily perform double-duty as a home and mobile broadband data service. Nextel has not announced plans to expand into other markets, but based on my experiences and for the sake of those not fortunate enough to live in range, here's hoping it does. --Kevin Cooke
Sales of smartphones, sometimes called converged mobile devices, grew 85.8 percent over the past year, according to IDC. With an ever-increasing need for convenient and ubiquitous access to e-mail, the Web and mobile business applications, smartphones will play a key role as a complement to wireless-enabled notebooks.
Smartphones are indeed getting smarter with every release, and we're beginning to see multiradio devices that support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular data services. These multimode devices still have room for improving text entry and seamless mobility between networks, but clearly the basic functionality is beginning to emerge. Unfortunately, device support for new cellular data protocols has lagged behind major providers' service offerings. For example, none of the most popular devices include integrated support for EDGE, 1xEV-DO or UMTS.
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